Podcasts about South Ossetia

Jess Letch is a humanitarian dynamo. From connecting families torn apart by war in Angola, to supporting people to evacuate disputed territories in South Ossetia, to writing a billion-dollar plan to support Ukrainian refugees throughout Europe, Jess has had some challenging and rewarding roles during her humanitarian career.  Growing up in Melbourne Australia, Jess started her career with a social work degree, then soon landed a role working with refugees through the Australian Red Cross.  Now, with 25 years' experience in the humanitarian and development sectors, she has worked in diverse contexts all over the globe, including across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Pacific.  In this episode, Sally and Jess chat about the challenges of working in conflict zones, the uniqueness of the humanitarian skillset, the importance of building a strong home base when constantly travelling abroad, and the power of strong institutions to protect societies when disaster strikes.  You can join our conversations on LinkedIn and Facebook.   You can find out more about RedR Australia's training courses here. You can read the transcript and view the photo Jess mentioned here. Host: Sally Cunningham  Guest: Jess Letch  Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar 

The inauguration of the illegitimate President, increased fines, a lion cub on the streets of Tbilisi, clashes in Bolnisi, a law banning LGBTQ propaganda proposed in South Ossetia, and much more! Thanks for tuning in!Let us know what you think and what we can improve on by emailing us at info@rorshok.com You can also contact us through Instagram @rorshok_georgia or Twitter @RorshokGeorgiaLike what you hear? Subscribe, share, and tell your buds.We want to get to know you! Please fill in this mini-survey: https://forms.gle/NV3h5jN13cRDp2r66Wanna avoid ads and help us financially? Follow the link: https://bit.ly/rorshok-donate

Since emerging as an independent state in 1991, Georgia has struggled to establish its nationhood. "Joining 'the West' has driven Georgian elites' strategic thinking for decades," writes the historian Bryan Gigantino. Yet, at the same time, Tbilisi must not antagonize Russia, as the legacy of the 2008 war over South Ossetia and Abkhazia still looms over Georgian society. For the past three weeks, demonstrators have staged massive protests, often clashing with police, over the ruling Georgian Dream party's decision to suspend talks to join the European Union. In this episode, Gigantino untangles the complexities of Georgian history and politics as the country copes with life on the post-Soviet periphery. Further reading: In Georgia, a National Election Is a Geopolitical Struggle by Bryan Gigantino (Jacobin)

OC Media's Robin Fabbro, Nate Ostiller, Arshaluys Barseghyan, and Yousef Bardouka talk about the regime change in Syria and what it means for the Caucasian diaspora communities in the country and what it says about Russia's influence and power globally. Read more: Armenia says ‘no opportunity' to evacuate Syrian–Armenians Syrian rebel leader condemns Abkhazia and South Ossetia recognition Right of return? — The struggles of the Circassian diaspora to settle in Adygea   Support independent journalism in the Caucasus and become an OC Media Member: Join today. …or donate to the collective Georgian media security fund.

In this episode of War & Peace, Olga and Elissa are joined by Tbilisi-based journalist Joshua Kucera to discuss Georgia's contested parliamentary elections and the prospects for the country and its breakaway regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia. They look at what explains the electoral success of the ruling Georgian Dream party, what's behind allegations of vote rigging and why the opposition has struggled to mobilise its support base in the aftermath of the polls. They explore Tbilisi's shifting relations with Moscow and Brussels, focusing on why the war in Ukraine and politics in the South Caucasus have driven Georgia away from the project of Western integration. They also examine the recent unrest in Abkhazia, the complicated relations among Georgia, the breakaway regions and Russia, and the EU's future as a mediator and monitor in the region. For more, check out Joshua's New York Times op-ed “This Country Turned Against the West, and It's Not Coming Back”, Crisis Group's commentary “Georgia: How to Tread Carefully and Preserve the EU's Diplomatic Role” and our Georgia country page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pressure from the Anti-Corruption Bureau on NGOs, the President's signing of the Amnesty Law, resignations of Otsneba's Ministers, Lavrov's proposal to normalize relations between Georgia, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia.Thanks for tuning in!Let us know what you think and what we can improve on by emailing us at info@rorshok.com You can also contact us through Instagram @rorshok_georgia or Twitter @RorshokGeorgiaLike what you hear? Subscribe, share, and tell your buds. We want to get to know you! Please fill in this mini-survey: https://forms.gle/NV3h5jN13cRDp2r66Wanna avoid ads and help us financially? Follow the link: https://bit.ly/rorshok-donate

ANN Groong Week in Review - Sep 22, 2024Topics:Armenian Day of Independence: Sep. 21“Strategic Partnerships”Armenian Azerbaijani TalksGuest:Arthur G. Martirosyan - TW/@ArthurMarti63Hosts:Hovik Manucharyan - TW/@HovikYerevanAsbed Bedrossian - TW/@qubriqEpisode 368 | Recorded: September 23, 2024Subscribe and follow us everywhere you are: linktr.ee/groong

Ivanishvili on South Ossetia, opposition leaders discussing a potential coalition, an anti-LGBTQ law, US sanctions against Georgian officials, a new UFC champion from Georgia, and much more! Thanks for tuning in!Let us know what you think and what we can improve on by emailing us at info@rorshok.com You can also contact us through Instagram @Rorshok__georgia or Twitter @RorshokGeorgiaLike what you hear? Subscribe, share, and tell your buds.The 8th London Georgian Film Festival: https://www.institut-francais.org.uk/festivals-and-series/london-georgian-film-festival/#/ We want to get to know you! Please fill in this mini-survey: https://forms.gle/NV3h5jN13cRDp2r66Wanna avoid ads and help us financially? Follow the link: https://bit.ly/rorshok-donate

Parliament to override President's veto, NATO's Jens Stoltenberg discussing Black Sea security in Georgia, Russian elections in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, tax cuts on tobacco products, Georgian artists taking Berlin and Hamburg by storm, and much more.Thanks for tuning in!Let us know what you think and what we can improve on by emailing us at georgia@rorshok.com. You can also contact us through Instagram @Rorshok__georgia or Twitter @RorshokGeorgiaLike what you hear? Subscribe, share, and tell your buds.T-shirtshttps://rorshok.com/buy/We want to get to know you! Please fill in this mini survey:https://forms.gle/NV3h5jN13cRDp2r66Wanna avoid ads and help us financially? Follow the link:https://bit.ly/rorshok-donate

Compare news coverage. Spot media bias. Avoid algorithms. Be well informed. Download the free Ground News app at: https://ground.news/tldrWelcome to the TLDR News Daily BriefingIn today's episode, we run through South Ossetia's plan to potentially join Russia. Also, we discuss Putin celebrating Russia's election results; why Niger is planning to kick out US troops; and updates to the elections in India and Venezuela.

The episode was recorded on 28 November 2023 in cooperation with Ponto. Georgia has long been one of the most eager EU-aspirant countries in the European Neighborhood. It has, however, faced a significant setback as a result of an authoritarian turn under its current government – led by the Georgian Dream party. Putting forward twelve conditions related to democracy and the rule of law for the country, the EU only granted Georgia a membership “perspective” in 2022, even while Moldova and Ukraine received official candidate status. The European Commission (and subsequently the European Council) did eventually grant Georgia candidate status in 2023. However, progress on deoligarchization, political depolarization, media freedom, and rule of law matters remains to be seen – and may depend on whether the Georgian government is as committed to EU integration as the country's population. We start our discussion with an assessment of Georgia's EU's integration process and then move on to other topics relevant to Georgia's geopolitical orientation, including Russia's role in its economy and security, the protracted conflicts with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Tbilisi's relations with Beijing, as along with the country's economic and transit potential (as well as bottlenecks), given its location at a geographical (and political) crossroads between Asia and Europe. Guests: Stefan Meister is Head of the Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). From 2019 until 2021, he worked as director of the Heinrich Böll Foundation's South Caucasus Office. From 2017 to 2019, Meister was head of the Robert Bosch Center for Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia at DGAP. Before that, he was a senior policy fellow in the Wider Europe Team at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in Berlin and London. In the 2015/16 term, Meister was a visiting fellow at the Transatlantic Academy in Washington, DC, where he wrote on Russian disinformation and propaganda. He has served as an election observer for the OSCE in post-Soviet countries several times and worked on conflict transformation and institution building in post-Soviet countries. Stefan Meister is co-author of Geopolitics and Security: A New Strategy for the South Caucasus (KAS/DGAP/GIP, 2018), The Russia File (Brookings, 2018), Eastern Voices (Center for Transatlantic Relations/DGAP, 2017), and The Eastern Question (Brookings, 2016).  Tinatin Akhvlediani is a Research Fellow in the EU Foreign Policy Unit at the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS), specializing in the EU's enlargement, neighborhood, and trade policies. Her regional expertise is focused on the EU's Eastern neighborhood and Ukraine. She has published extensively in these areas, actively engages in high-level policy debates, and frequently offers insights through major media outlets, including BBC, Euronews, and Bloomberg. In 2023, she was recognized among the most prominent and promising women in the EU and in 2020, she earned a place on Forbes Georgia's “30 Under 30” list. Tinatin Akhvlediani teaches European Economic Integration at the International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University (ISET). Additionally, she maintains affiliations with several major think tanks in Georgia and frequently provides expert commentary on major Georgian TV channels. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Warsaw. Moderation: Marylia Hushcha, Researcher and Project Manager at the IIP.

My guests today are Mamuka Kuparadze, the founder of Studio Re in Tbilisi, which works to advance ‘people's diplomacy' through documentary film, and Aleksandr Pichugin, a Russian journalist, originally from Nizhny Novgorod, who left Russia with his family immediately after the announcement of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and started a new life in Tbilisi.Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the flow of Russian citizens fleeing the war to Georgia has reached an unprecedented 100,000. That's the size of two small Georgian cities such as Gori, for example.Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, relations between Georgia and Russia have not been easy. There have been wars of secession, first in South Ossetia, then in Abkhazia, and their de facto removal from Georgian government control. And the culmination of these wars, we can say, took place 15 years later, in 2008, when Russia invaded Georgia and won a five-day war after which Russia “officially” recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (both are still considered by the international community as legitimate parts of Georgia. Georgia itself calls them Russian-occupied territories).In this edition of ‘Then and Now', we take a look at how Georgian society and government perceives these immigrants from Russia and how Russian immigrants live there.The recording was made on 4 January 2024.My questions include:Aleksandr, what pushed you to such an important decision for yourself and your family? After all, it is not easy to start from scratch in a foreign country?Why Georgia? Did the visa system play a role in your decision?Did you find a place to live? A job? Tell us a little about how you solved such domestic problems and how you were received by Georgian society. Is there a sense of a separate ‘Russian world' in Tbilisi?Mamuka, Studio Re recently released a short movie about how the local population feels about the flow of Russian immigrants into their country. What were the main findings of your research?How does the flow of Russians into Georgia affect the country's economy?Against the background of extremely uneasy and tense relations with Putin's Russia, how do the Georgian government and civil society feel about the presence of so many Russians on Georgian territory, Mamuka?Refugees from Ukraine have also come to Georgia. Aleksandr, is the presence of Ukrainians felt in your circles?The Georgian border service has denied entry to the country to several Russian citizens who are critical of Putin's regime, such as Mikhail Fishman, journalist, presenter and analyst of TV Dozhd, and others. What is the explanation for this, Mamuka? What is the position of the country's ruling party, the ‘Georgian Dream', towards today's Russia?How does it differ from the position of activists in civil society?Aleksandr, how did you in Georgia perceive the new flow of Russian immigrants, which began immediately after the announcement of mobilization on 22 October? Do you feel a difference in the motivation and goals of the first wave compared to the second?Has the war with Ukraine given rise to new anxieties on the part of Russia in Georgia, Mamuka?How do Russians in Georgia see their future? Have some already returned to Russia? How do you personally see your future, Aleksandr?

On November 8, 2023, the E.U. recommended that Georgia be granted candidate status, which it applied for in March 2022, just after Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The E.U. had previously only given Georgia what's called a European Perspective, recognizing it as a potential candidate but stopping short of granting it candidate status, as it had for Ukraine and Moldova in June 2022. In recent years, the E.U. had criticized the ruling Georgian Dream party for its increasing restrictions on media freedom, crackdown on protests, and for developing closer relations with Moscow. Improving relations with Russia has been received negatively in Georgia not only because of Russia actively waging a war in Ukraine, but also due to the 2008 war over Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgia's two breakaway regions, which Moscow has since occupied. While the conflict is often described as “frozen,” people living along the so-called “separation line” between the breakaway regions and Georgia proper continue to experience the war's lasting effects. At times, they have been deadly — in early November 2023, a Georgian man was killed by the Russian military when he was visiting a church located on the separation line. For insight on what life is like for people living along this line and the prospects for peace, Meduza spoke to Olesya Vartanyan, Crisis Group's Senior Analyst for the South Caucasus region. Meduza then turned to Mariam Nikuradze, the co-founder and executive director of OC Media, to learn more about the recent Foreign Agents Draft Bill, the Georgian government's crackdown on protests, and the challenges journalists in Georgia continue to face.Как поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно

The people of Georgia are all too familiar with Russian occupation. In 2008, Russia invaded Georgia in a brutal provocation that left tens of thousands displaced and persecuted. By the end of the five-day conflict, Russia gained control of two breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine is a stark reminder to Georgians of what could potentially happen to them (yet again) if Putin is successful. To learn more about Georgia's perspective on the war, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Teona Akubardia, member of the Georgian parliament and deputy chair of its defense and security committee. For Akubardia, Georgia's sovereignty is contingent upon Ukraine's victory, and Prigozhin's recent mutiny has given the Georgian people hope that Putin's regime is nearing its end. Akubardia also offers her take on Georgia's evolving relationship with NATO since 2008, a "Black Sea consciousness" that has emerged in the West since the Russia-Ukraine war, and predictions for the 2024 Georgian parliamentary election.Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front's biweekly newsletter here. Follow us on Twitter here.

Thanks for tuning in! This is a special edition of our regularly scheduled Georgia Update.In this episode, we sit down with Dzerassa Sanakoeva, a young woman who was born and raised in South Ossetia and now lives in Tbilisi, and chat about her life experiences. Let us know what you think about this new format and what we can improve on by emailing us at georgia@rorshok.com Like what you hear? Subscribe, share, and tell your buds.

In early March, Georgians took to the street in Tbilisi to protest a bill that would have classified organisations and media groups receiving more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad as foreign agents. Although the ruling Georgian Dream party eventually dropped the bill, many Georgians remain frustrated at the government for what they see as a deliberate effort to turn the country's back to the EU in favour of Russia. This particularly rankles those who see echoes of the five-day war Russia fought against Georgia in 2008 in Russia's continuing full-scale war in Ukraine.This week on War & Peace, Olga Oliker and Elissa Jobson are joined by Tbilisi-based journalist Joshua Kucera and Crisis Group's Senior Analyst for the South Caucasus Olesya Vartanyan to talk about what's behind the protests and what might lie ahead for the political future of the country. They delve into the root causes for the protests, how they unfolded and Georgian Dream's politics and policies. They also examine how the war in Ukraine has and has not affected Georgia's relations with its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Finally, they discuss Georgia's prospects for EU candidacy and why Brussels might be well advised not to turn its back on the country.For more in-depth analysis of the topics discussed in this episode, check out our Georgia country page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on A Podcast About Catholic Things, Eric (The Ambassador of Common Sense) and Dan (The Ambassador of Nonsense) discuss something Eric has admittedly been avoiding since the entire election scam of 2020. But, as good Catholics, he believes it is our duty to climb back into the subject of politics… even if we doubt our ability to have any effect on the outcome. Division of Church and State is not real. At the same time, the days of relying on NBC News for information are over. We have a particular duty to find the hidden information, and to be good red pilled Americans. In current events, battles all over the world continue--and Biden ignores them all while using Ukraine and Russia to explain the failing US economy. Russian ruble value climbs to 5-year high against euro. New Mexico suffers wild fires. Native American burial sites found. Condo collapse victims in Florida see settlement amount. Six people die in mass stabbing. Elon Musk suspends twitter purchase. Finland and Sweden get closer to NATO, and Russia responds. Shooters kill people in Tops Friendly Markets in New York and a church in California. South Ossetia to join Russia. Venezuela to sell state-owned companies--Biden set to buy. Switzerland change organ donor policies. Monkey Pox on its way to America. In the Land Of Nonsense, make makes special flavor milk shake. Town refuses to change name. Bald men can file sexual harassment. Man calls 911 on Biden. Naked man on beer is not pornographic.VIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS VIEW ON GOOGLE PODCASTS VIEW ON AMAZON VIEW ON AUDIBLE VIEW ON CASTBOX VIEW ON PODCASTADDICT VIEW ON STITCHER VIEW ON BITCHUTE VIEW ON RUMBLE VIEW ON TUNE-IN VISIT US ON FACEBOOK

When we think of networks of organized crime, we tend to place them in their own category, occupying an "underworld" of its own rules separate from the norms and laws that guide our states operate in societies. In his new book, "Gangsters and Other Statesmen: Mafias, Separatists, and Torn States in a Globalized World," Danilo Mandić, a political sociologist at Harvard, challenges this assumption and points to numerous examples of crime and criminal networks being interwoven and overlaid on numerous governments and separatist movements, which of course often has a major impact in terms of how these states are formed, how peace is brokered in conflicts, and how national identity is formed. Mandić's book presents fascinating first-hand field research from some of the world's most contested regions, including disputed territories of Kosovo and South Ossetia, where he was interviewed mobsters, separatists, and policymakers along major smuggling routes. In this interview with Robert Amsterdam, Mandić discusses how often mainstream academic discourse has ignored the influential role of non-state actors in the criminal world, and argues that these groups can be a fateful determinant of state capacity, separatist success, and ethnic conflict.

This episode is unusual. (best with headphones!) I have been traveling in Georgia for three weeks and I am now in a small town, Oni, close to the border between South Ossetia (many Georgians prefer calling it the Tskhinvali Region),  Russia and Georgia. Earlier during my visit I drove the road from Akhmeta in Kakheti to Omalo in Tusheti over the notorious Abano pass. This episode is a narration of that drive.The music intro and outro is a song Shen Alazano (Tushetian Song) performed by Lela Nakeuri & Chveneburebi.  (a wonderful band that I hope will play in the Big Sur mountains one day). Please email any comments/suggestions.THANK YOU!Magnus TorenSupport the show

We're in Georgia where the village territory of Khurvaleti is increasingly affected by Russian forces demarcating the 'border' of breakaway state South Ossetia. Written by Clément Girardot with contributed reporting by Tamar Kalandadze. Read by Pete Ferrand. 

This week on The Sound Kitchen you'll hear the answer to the question about the three countries which have applied for membership in the European Union.  There's “On This Day”, “Ollia's Happy Moment”, plenty of good music, and of course, the new quiz question. Just click on the “Audio” arrow above and enjoy!  Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll hear the winner's names announced and the week's quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you've grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week. Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your musical requests, so get them in! Send your musical requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all! Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts! In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts which will leave you hungry for more. There's Paris Perspective, Africa Calling, Spotlight on France, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We have an award-winning bilingual series - an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. And there is the excellent International Report, too. As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists. You never know what we'll surprise you with! To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website and click on the three horizontal bars on the top right, choose “Listen to RFI / Podcasts”, and you've got ‘em ! You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone. To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.  Teachers, take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr  If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below.  Another idea for your students: My beloved music teacher from St Edward's University in Austin, Texas, Dr Gerald Muller, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that's how I worked on my French, reading books which were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it's a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald's free books, click here.  Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload! And don't forget, there is a Facebook page just for you, the independent RFI English Clubs. Only members of RFI English Clubs can belong to this group page, so when you apply to join, be sure you include the name of your RFI Club and your membership number. Everyone can look at it, but only members of the group can post on it. If you haven't yet asked to join the group, and you are a member of an independent, officially recognized RFI English club, go to the Facebook link above, and fill out the questionnaire !!!!! (if you do not answer the questions, I click “decline”). There's a Facebook page for members of the general RFI Listeners Club, too. Just click on the link above and fill out the questionnaire, and you can connect with your fellow Club members around the world. Be sure you include your RFI Listeners Club membership number (most of them begin with an A, followed by a number) in the questionnaire, or I will have to click “Decline”, which I don't like to do! This week's quiz: In early May, French President Emmanuel Macron was in Strasbourg to address the European Commission. He presented ideas for a new European political community, which we reported on in our article “Macron advocates for creation of a 'European political community beyond the bloc”. I asked you to send me the names of the three countries, all former USSR satellite states, that want to join the European Union.  The answer is: Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. As RFI Club member and long-time RFI English listener Vladimir Gudzenko from Moscow noted in his winning quiz entry: “The common problem in these countries is that all they are partly occupied by Russia! For Moldova, there is the self-proclaimed Republic of Transnistria, occupied by Russia. In Georgia, there are two self-proclaimed independent countries, also occupied by Russia:  Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Then in Ukraine, there is the Crimea and the Donbas and Lugansk regions, also self-proclaimed independent countries.”  EU membership takes a very long time, and for these three countries, with these very particular complications, it won't be easy … As Macron noted: "Even if we gave them candidate status tomorrow, we all know perfectly well that the process of allowing them to join would take several years, in truth doubtless several decades." So Macron proposed a "European political community", which would: “… allow democratic European nations ... to find a new space for political cooperation, security, cooperation in energy, transport, investment, infrastructure, the movement of people."  The winners are: Salehin An Nahiyann from the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh, and Sameen Riaz, from the RFI Listeners Club in Sheikhupura City, Pakistan. There's RFI English listener Pradip Basak from West Bengal, India, and RFI Listener Club members Sagor Mia – who is also the president of the “Let's go on the right path and tell the truth, radio listener club” in Kishoreganj, Bangladesh - and Vladimir Gudzenko who lives near Moscow, in Russia. Congratulations winners! Here's the music you heard on this week's program: “Dance of the Blessed Spirits” from the opera Orpheus and Eurydice by Christoph Willibald Gluck, performed by the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Herbert von Karajan, with Karlheinz Zoeller, flutist; “Brazilian Breeze” by David Grisman, performed by Grisman and his quintet; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and “Lugt, Schwestern” from Richard Wagner's opera  Das Rheingold, sung by Diana Newman, Annie Rosen, Lindsay Ammann, and Samuel Youn, with the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. Do you have a musical request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr This week's question ... You have to listen to the show to participate. After you've listened to the show, refer to our article “G7 aims to raise $600 billion to counter China's Belt and Road”  to help you find the answer. You have until 1 August to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 6 August podcast. When you enter, be sure you send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number. Send your answers to: english.service@rfi.fr or Susan Owensby RFI – The Sound Kitchen 80, rue Camille Desmoulins 92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux France or By text … You can also send your quiz answers to The Sound Kitchen mobile phone. Dial your country's international access code, or “ + ”, then  33 6 31 12 96 82. Don't forget to include your mailing address in your text – and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number. 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Our guest on the podcast this week is Varvara Pakhomenko. Varvara Pakhomenko has been a human rights activist for a very long time. Back in her native Tomsk she was actively involved in human rights activities. Having moved to Moscow, Varvara began working with many human rights activists in the capital, but the geography of her travels remained very wide. Since 2006, Varvara Pakhomenko has worked in conflict zones in the North and South Caucasus: in 2006-2009 at the human rights organization Demos, in 2009-2011 at the Dutch organization Russian Justice Initiative, and since 2011 she has worked as a programme analyst for Europe and Central Asia at the International Crisis Group. When the Russian authorities effectively closed the ICG's Moscow office, Varvara left to work in Ukraine. There she worked first for the UN Development Programme and after that for Geneva Call. A move to Canada seemed to put some distance between her and Europe, but now Varvara Pakhomenko is back again on the old continent. The recording took place on 24 June 2022. This podcast is in Russian. You can also listen to the podcast on our website, SoundCloud, Podcasts.com, Spotify, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Anchor and YouTube. You can also listen to the podcast in full here (see also below): The questions we ask Varvara Pakhomenko include: · How did human rights activism come into your life? · One of Tomsk's leading human rights activists was Boris Maksovich Kreindel. He was involved in many projects, including defending the rights of Roma in Tomsk region. How did it happen that he had to leave his native land? · Tell us about your work in the conflict zones in the Caucasus – where did you work? To what extent was it dangerous? · Which Moscow human rights activists and which organizations have you worked with in Russia? · When and why did you decide to move to Ukraine? · How does the human rights movement in Ukraine differ from that in Russia? · At least since 2012 the Russian authorities have pursued policies of increasing restrictions on human rights work in the country, attacks on freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and a general moved towards isolationism. Do you think they have been preparing for the war against Ukraine for a long time? · What has been your role at the UNDP and Geneva Call? · How has the Ukrainian army changed since 2014. How do you assess the Ukrainian military's compliance with international humanitarian law and with the rules and customs of warfare? · How do you see the future of human rights in Russia and the future of human rights organizations? Sergei Nikitin writes on Facebook: “I remember when I was working on South Ossetia in 2010,” Varya Pakhomenko told Simon Cosgrove and I. “I had to make a difficult decision at the time: I did not know what to do. I called Sasha Cherkasov and asked him what to do in this situation. Sasha replied: ‘You know, no one can make this decision better than you right now. Because you know all that's going on there better than anyone.' And at that moment I realized that these fine people had begun to see me as an equal colleague.” In this podcast, Varya Pakhomenko talks about her native Tomsk, about Tomsk human rights activist Boris Kreindel, and about how a student from Siberia became a human rights activist. Varya and I were in South Ossetia together two weeks after the end of the war in 2008, so I had a chance to work with her myself then. After Russia, Varvara Pakhomenko has worked in Ukraine: in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and, after that, with the Geneva Call organization. It was then that she participated in training the Ukrainian Armed Forces, teaching the Ukrainian military how to comply with international humanitarian norms and protect civilians in armed conflict.

A Dutch intelligence agency said Thursday that it foiled a sophisticated attempt by a Russian spy using a false Brazilian identity to work as an intern at the International Criminal Court, which is investigating allegations of Russian war crimes in Ukraine.The General Intelligence and Security Service of the Netherlands said the 36-year-old man, identified as Sergey Vladimirovich Cherkasov, worked for Russia's shadowy GRU agency and tried to gain access to the global court based in The Hague under the cover name of Viktor Muller Ferreira.“If the intelligence officer had succeeded in gaining access as an intern to the ICC, he would have been able to gather intelligence there and to look for (or recruit) sources, and arrange to have access to the ICC's digital systems,” the Dutch agency said. “That way he would have been able to provide a significant contribution to the intelligence that the GRU is seeking. He might also have been able to influence criminal proceedings of the ICC.”The agency said it uncovered his identity and informed the Netherlands' immigration service in April that he was considered a national security threat.“On these grounds, the intelligence officer was refused entry into the Netherlands in April and declared unacceptable. He was sent back to Brazil on the first flight out,” the agency, known by its acronym AIVD, said. It did not reveal how it unmasked the spy.In March, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan opened an investigation in Ukraine, where Russian forces have been accused of war crimes. The court also is investigating alleged crimes committed during the 2008 Russo-Georgian War and has issued arrest warrants for three men who served in the Russian-backed self-declared republic of South Ossetia.Court spokeswoman Sonia Robla said the ICC “was briefed by the Dutch authorities and is very thankful to the Netherlands for this important operation and more generally, for exposing security threats.”She said as the court's host state, “the role of the Dutch authorities is key in the protection of the ICC headquarters. The ICC takes these threats very seriously and will continue to work and cooperate with the Netherlands.”In a statement about the foiled bid to infiltrate the ICC, the Dutch intelligence agency said Cherkasov used “a well-constructed cover identity by which he concealed all his ties with Russia in general, and the GRU in particular.”It said he was an “illegal” agent “who received long and extensive training." The Dutch agency even released a redacted document, dated around 2010, in which he lays out his fabricated backstory.“Because of their alias identity, illegals are difficult to discover,” the AIVD said. “For that reason they often remain undetected, allowing them to carry out intelligence activities. Because they present themselves as foreigners, they have access to information that would be inaccessible to a Russian national.”It is not the first time Russian spies have attempted to infiltrate an international organization in The Hague.In 2018, the Dutch defense minister accused GRU spies of attempted cybercrimes targeting the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and an international investigation into the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine. The probe said the plane was brought down by a missile was driven into Ukraine from a Russian military base and fired from territory controlled by pro-Moscow separatists. Russia denies involvement.Earlier this year, after Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, the Netherlands was one of several European nations that expelled Russians believed linked to espionage. The Netherlands kicked out 17 Russians who it described as intelligence officers masquerading as diplomats.- by Mike Corder, AP

On July 17, a referendum on "unification" with Russia will be held in South Ossetia. Listen to the interview with Dr.Alexei Muraviev, Professor of National Security and Strategic Studies at Curtin University in Perth. - 17 июля в Южной Осетии пройдет референдум об "объединении" с Россией. Доктор Алексей Муравьев, профессор кафедры национальной безопасности и стратегических исследований Университета Кертин в Перте, рассуждает о том, почему его решили провести сейчас и какие последствия он может иметь.

This week on A Podcast About Catholic Things, Eric (The Ambassador of Common Sense) and Dan (The Ambassador of Nonsense) discuss something Eric has admittedly been avoiding since the entire election scam of 2020. But, as good Catholics, he believes it is our duty to climb back into the subject of politics… even if we doubt our ability to have any effect on the outcome. Division of Church and State is not real. At the same time, the days of relying on NBC News for information are over. We have a particular duty to find the hidden information, and to be good red pilled Americans. In current events, battles all over the world continue--and Biden ignores them all while using Ukraine and Russia to explain the failing US economy. Russian ruble value climbs to 5-year high against euro. New Mexico suffers wild fires. Native American burial sites found. Condo collapse victims in Florida see settlement amount. Six people die in mass stabbing. Elon Musk suspends twitter purchase. Finland and Sweden get closer to NATO, and Russia responds. Shooters kill people in Tops Friendly Markets in New York and a church in California. South Ossetia to join Russia. Venezuela to sell state-owned companies--Biden set to buy. Switzerland change organ donor policies. Monkey Pox on its way to America. In the Land Of Nonsense, make makes special flavor milk shake. Town refuses to change name. Bald men can file sexual harassment. Man calls 911 on Biden. Naked man on beer is not pornographic.

Finland's government declared a “new era” is underway as it inches closer to seeking NATO membership, hours before Sweden's governing party on Sunday backed a plan to join the trans-Atlantic alliance amid Russia's war in Ukraine.Russia has long bristled about NATO moving closer to its borders, so the developments will be sure to further anger Moscow. President Vladimir Putin has already warned his Finnish counterpart on Saturday that relations would be “negatively affected.”NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Sunday the process for Finland and Sweden to join could be very quick. He also didn't expect Turkey to hold up the process.Speaking after top diplomats from the alliance's 30 member states met in Berlin, Stoltenberg also expressed his hope that Ukraine could win the war as Russian military advances appear to be faltering.In Finland, President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin confirmed earlier statements that their country would seek membership in NATO during a joint news conference at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki. The Nordic country, which was nonaligned before changing its stance on NATO, shares a long border with Russia.“This is a historic day. A new era begins,” Niinisto said.The Finnish Parliament is expected to endorse the decision in the coming days. A formal membership application will then be submitted to NATO headquarters in Brussels, most likely at some point next week.Sweden, also nonaligned, moved a step closer to applying for NATO membership after the governing Social Democratic party met Sunday and backed joining the trans-Atlantic alliance.The plan to join the alliance will be discussed in Sweden's parliament on Monday, and Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson's Cabinet will make an announcement later that day.The decision by the Social Democrats breaks with the party's long-standing position that Sweden must remain nonaligned and means there's a clear majority for NATO membership in Parliament.Sweden has not been a member of a military alliance since the Napoleonic Wars. Finland adopted neutrality after being defeated by the Red Army in World War II and losing about 10% of its territory.“Our 200-year-long standing policy of military nonalignment has served Sweden well,” Andersson said during a news conference in Stockholm late Sunday. “But the issue at hand is whether military nonalignment will keep serving us well?”“We're now facing a fundamentally changed security environment in Europe.”Finland and Sweden abandoned traditional neutrality by joining the European Union in 1995.Public opinion in both countries was firmly against joining NATO until the Russian invasion on Ukraine on Feb. 24, when support for membership surged almost overnight, first in Finland and later in Sweden.NATO's secretary-general, meanwhile, sought to highlight Russian military setbacks.“Russia's war in Ukraine is not going as Moscow had planned,” Stoltenberg said by video link to the NATO meeting in Berlin as he recovers from a COVID-19 infection." “They failed to take Kyiv. They are pulling back from around Kharkiv. Their major offensive in Donbas has stalled. Russia is not achieving its strategic objectives.”“Ukraine can win this war," he said, adding that NATO must continue to step up its military support to the country.The ex-Soviet republic of Georgia's bid to join NATO is again being discussed despite dire warnings from Moscow about the consequences. Both countries fought a brief war in 2008 over Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia.Nordic NATO member Norway said it strongly welcomed Finland's decision to seek membership. Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt described Helsinki's move as “a turning point” for the Nordic region's defense and security policies.Stoltenberg said he was confident the accession process for Finland and Sweden could be expedited. In the meantime, the alliance would increase its presence in the Baltic region to deter Russian threats,...

14 years ago, Russia invaded a neighboring country, carving out a separatist enclave that it has supported militarily and diplomatically ever since. Last week, Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, held a presidential election that much of the world has not recognized. Georgia's Foreign Ministry described the vote as another illegal act of Russia directed against Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. But choosing a new leader might not be the only goal for the breakaway region. Officials in South Ossetia have proposed formally joining Russia. Guests: James Dorsey Senior Fellow at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Jennifer Murtazashvili Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh

Editors Jimmy Lovaas and Imana Gunawan discuss anti-government protests in Sri Lanka,  plus more on Russia resuming travel with 52 "friendly" countries, a presidential election in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia, a trucker convoy headed for Los Angeles and Somalia swearing in members of Parliament.These stories and more are also available in our weekly Forecast email and you can subscribe for free.Note: Our podcast will be off next week for Spring Break, but we'll be back on April 21. In the meantime, be sure to follow us on Twitter where we'll still be posting breaking news.This episode was produced with work from Factal editors Jess Fino, Irene Villora, Vivian Wang, Jeff Landset and Imana Gunawan.  Music courtesy of Andrew Gospe. Have feedback, suggestions or events we've missed? Drop us a note: hello@factal.comWhat's Factal? Created by the founders of Breaking News, Factal alerts companies to global incidents that pose an immediate risk to their people or business operations. We provide trusted verification, precise incident mapping and a collaboration platform for corporate security, travel safety and emergency management teams. If you're a company interested in a trial, please email sales@factal.com. To learn more, visit Factal.com, browse the Factal blog or email us at hello@factal.com.Read the full episode description and transcript on Factal's blog.Copyright © 2022 Factal. All rights reserved.

Israel and four Arab nations held a historic summit, marking a continuing revolution in relations driven by fear of a rising Iran, and highlighting how irrelevant America's role in the region has become. Russia continues its attacks on Ukraine, increasing casualties, causing a refugee crisis, and destroying major infrastructure. Meanwhile Vladimir Putin is recruiting 134,000 new soldiers The British royal family's recent trip through the Caribbean was marred by protests, hostility against Britain's history, and renewed pushes for independence from the British Commonwealth. We also talk about the Biden administration's attack on the foundations of the American economy, South Ossetia planning to merge into Russia, a spate of terrorist attacks in Israel, migrants flooding into a Spanish enclave in Morocco, and federal officials ruling that Hillary Clinton used the Steele dossier illegally. Links Negev Summit “Deadly Flaw in Mideast Peace Deals” “Why the Arabs Embraced the Jews” Ukraine Update “Russia's Attack Signals Dangerous New Era” “We Said Putin Would Do This” Royal Family in Caribbean “The Caribbean Commonwealth Is Crumbling” “Threatening the Crown That Binds Britain” Attacks on U.S. Economy “America's Economy: Going the Way of Rome” South Ossetia “Putin and the ‘Greatest Catastrophe'” Terrorist Attacks in Israel “Is the Fall of East Jerusalem Imminent?” “What Will Happen After Trump Regains Power” Morocco Migrants “Spanish Enclave Overwhelmed by Wave of Migrants” FEC Charges Hillary Clinton TRUMPET DAILY: “Is Barack Obama Pulling the Plug on Joe Biden?”

This is not the first time Russia invaded a neighboring country that was being considered for entry into NATO. In 2008, Moscow took advantage of a conflict in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia as a justification to invade. A brutal five day war followed and today, 20% of Georgia's internationally recognized territory remains under Russian military occupation. Journalist Levi Bridges traveled to the former Soviet republic of Georgia to see the remnants of its 2008 war with Russia – and what the conflict can or can't tell us about Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.  This is part 2 of a three-part series looking at how Vladimir's Putin consolidates power in former Soviet republics. Please be sure to listen to part 1: A War Between Dictators and the Free World with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and watch the podcast feed for part 3 to drop on Thursday. Guests: Liana Chlachidze, Ergneti village resident Galina Kelekhsaeva, German language teacher  Gerard Toal, professor of government and international affairs at Virginia Tech Shalva Dzebisashvili, head of political science at the University of Georgia in Tbilisi Nino Tsagareishvili, legal advisor to German development agency GIZ Host:  Ray Suarez Reporter: Levi Bridges

Photo:   Major Russian stock market RTS Index with S&P 500 and Oil Spot Prices. All data are in percentages to May 1, 2008 values. A - Vladimir Putin criticises Mechel; B - 2008 South Ossetia war starts; C - Recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia - by Russia; D - Alexei Kudrin "no systematic crisis" speech; E - measures to save major banks are adopted by the Russian government; F - financial crisis of 2007–2008 #Ukraine: The War and the Markets   @LizPeek @TheHill   Fox News . https://www.marketplace.org/2022/03/15/oil-prices-soared-then-dropped-but-gasoline-is-still-expensive-why/

On this episode, we have a discussion with political geographer Dr. Gerard Toal about the 2008 August War that embroiled Georgia, Russia and South Ossetia in conflict, along with the contingencies and background that led to the fighting and what this event can tell us or not tell us about Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Dr. Toal wrote a book in 2016 entitled "Near Abroad: Putin, The West and the Contest Over Ukraine and The Caucasus" - here's a description of the book below: "Before Russia invaded Ukraine, it invaded Georgia. Both states are part of Russia's "near abroad"--newly independent states that were once part of the Soviet Union and are now Russia's neighbors. While the Russia-Georgia war of 2008 faded from the headlines in the wake of the global recession, the geopolitical contest that created it did not. In Near Abroad, Gerard Toal moves beyond the polemical rhetoric that surrounds Russia's interventions in Georgia and Ukraine to study the underlying territorial conflicts and geopolitical struggles. Central to understanding are legacies of the Soviet Union collapse: unresolved territorial issues, weak states and a conflicted geopolitical culture in Russia over the new territorial order. Toal explains the road to invasion and war in Georgia and Ukraine, thereafter, and provides an account of real life geopolitics, one that emphasizes changing spatial relationships, geopolitical cultures and the power of media images. Not only a penetrating analysis of Russia's relationships with its regional neighbors, Near Abroad also offers an analysis of how US geopolitical culture frequently fails to fully understand Russia and the geopolitical archipelago of dependencies in its near abroad.

In August 2008, Russia went to war with another former Soviet republic, Georgia. The conflict began after Georgia attempted to recapture the breakaway region of South Ossetia, which had fought a separatist war with Tbilisi during the 1990s. As fighting escalated, Russia sent in troops - seizing control of South Ossetia and also of Georgia's other breakaway region, Abkhazia. The five-day war ended in humiliation for Georgia - several towns, a Black Sea port and military airfields were bombed by the Russian air force. Several hundred people were killed and thousands of ethnic Georgians displaced. Nick Holland reports. PHOTO: Russian troops on their way to South Ossetia in 2008 (Getty Images)

The Russo-Georgian War was a war between Georgia on one side and Russia and the Russian-backed self-proclaimed republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, on the other. The war took place in August 2008 following a period of worsening relations between Russia and Georgia, both formerly constituent republics of the Soviet Union. The fighting took place in the strategically important South Caucasus region. It is regarded as the first European war of the 21st century

The C Report for Thursday, February 24, 2022 (9:30 PM) In a world overwrought with fake news and propaganda by a biased media monopolized by six media corporations, The C Report emerges as an America First news show sifting through the aggregate to bring people around America and the world a different view that is independent, fair and patriotic. Join Mr. C weekdays for The C Report on The Foxhole.app, Pilled.net, Twitch, Clouthub, or Rumble. Visit www.TheCReport.com for more details. === === === === === === SUPPORT: https://cash.app/$MacX5x5 https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/mac --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thecreport/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thecreport/support

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Save Meduza!https://support.meduza.io/enThree decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Eastern European breakaway states of Transnistria, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia exist in a sort of geopolitical limbo. Born out of wars that ended in deadlocks in the early 1990s, these self-governing regions remain unrecognized by most of the world and dependent on Russia's backing. This isolation presents a unique set of challenges for cultural creatives living and working in these regions, as well as for journalists trying to help them tell their stories to the wider world. To find out more about the evolving contemporary cultures of Transnistria, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia, The Naked Pravda turns to Calvert Journal features editor Katie Marie Davies.  Timestamps for this week's episode: (2:19) Summarizing recent analysis and expert opinions from Michael Kofman, Leonid Bershidsky, Fyodor Lukyanov, Andrey Kortunov, Alexander Baunov, and Vladimir Denisov. (7:11) The Kadyrov regime's war on the Yangulbayev family in Chechnya. (9:18) A new documentary film about Alexey Navalny, and Russia's continued crackdown on the imprisoned opposition leader's anti-corruption movement. (10:47) After German regulators pull the plug on Russia Today, Moscow responds by kicking out Deutsche Welle. (12:02) Calvert Journal features editor Katie Marie Davies discusses the challenges faced by creatives building new cultures in Eastern Europe's breakaway states. 

Dr. Rasmus reviews the historical background to the possible military confrontation in the Ukraine, going back to Gorbachev and the breakup of the USSR in the early 1990s; aggressive moves by the US to move NATO into East Europe after promising not to do so; then US efforts to push pro-Russian politicians out of Ukraine in 2006 and the US backed Georgian invasion of South Ossetia, Russia; followed by the US financed coup of 2014 and Russian responses in Crimea and eastern Ukraine and US unilateral withdrawal from the Intermediate Nuclear Weapons (INF) treaty with Russia in 2019 and moving of NATO missile systems into Poland and Romania. Rasmus chronologically describes events since Putin's public article last summer indicating NATO in Ukraine was a ‘red line', up to the current maneuvering going on between Biden and Putin since December 2021 and western European leaders' shuttle diplomacy now underway. Why a Russian invasion is not ‘imminent', as Biden claims, but is nonetheless still possible. A preview of Dr. Rasmus' latest article, '10 Reasons Why the US May Want Russia to Invade Ukraine' is presented (see his blog, http://jackrasmus.com for the print version)

Dr. Rasmus reviews and discusses this past week's decision by the US Senate to reject approving the Voting Rights Acts, again engineered by the Democrat party's right wing Senators Manchin & Sinema. What's the economic motivation behind rejecting the political issue? Rasmus reviews how the vote to reject is part of a 25 year record of chipping away at electoral democracy in the USA, and what are the consequences now for 2022 midterms and 2024 national elections. Possible scenarios for a more clever legal coup in 2024 are reviewed. Rasmus also addresses the foreign policy issue of Russia and Ukraine. Will Russia invade? In which cases and how? Did Biden already secretly agree to an incursion and then put his own foot in his mouth publicly about it. How does Ukraine 2022 compare to the prior invasion of South Ossetia by Georgia at the instigation of the USA

RUSH: We're gonna get to the Ukraine business, it's gonna be the focus here. That happens to be the soap opera story. Actually, it's not the soap opera story. This is Putin running rings around us. There's no question what's going on here. Vladimir Putin's reassembling the Soviet Union. And this is something — I've got the sound bite — I predicted this back in 2008. And all the smart money in Washington, inside the Beltway — we've got these sound bites, too — they're shocked that Putin is trying to reassemble the Soviet Union. They can't believe it. Even Lurch — this guy, John Kerry, is shocked that Putin is actually conducting a ground war. Listen to this. Grab number 17. Let's just get this out of the way 'cause I think it's hilarious and it is indicative of how just outclassed we are. We're clueless. This generation of leaders is literally clueless about our enemies. Remember something you were taught early on in this program. The purpose of any military is to kill people and break things. It's not to advance anybody's social agenda. It's not a laboratory for the left's social ideas or playgrounds. It is to kill people and break things, and the second rule is that the aggressor in any conflict sets the rules. And if they violate an existing rule book, then so be it. The aggressor sets the rules, and right now, Putin is setting the rules. I went back and did some research. In 1979 when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, '79, '80, they did it at Christmastime, when we were all distracted. Putin goes into Ukraine, after, by the way, colonizing Georgia. They got Georgia back now. Remember Shalikashvili and South Ossetia? Well, they got Georgia back and they're marching now. And when did Putin do it? He sent the troops in during the Olympics that he hosted, that NBC televised and the world was watching. And then after that he continued this buildup last night during the Oscars. That is strategy. What it means to me is, in just that regard, if Putin actually made strategic decisions based on the American people being distracted it tells me that Putin believes that American public opinion still matters, in terms of impacting American leadership. https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2014/03/03/clueless_american_leaders_shocked_by_putin_s_attempt_to_reassemble_soviet_union/ Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

This episode's guest is Nikolaus von Twickel, a journalist-turned-analyst who specializes on the war in eastern Ukraine. He is now an editor at the Center for Liberal Modernity in Berlin, and he previously served as a media liaison officer for the OSCE Monitoring Mission in Donetsk. In 2020, he co-authored a book with Thomas de Waal called “Beyond Frozen Conflict: Scenarios for the Separatist Disputes of Eastern Europe,” which looks at the Donbas, Transdniestria, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorny Karabakh. Follow Nikolaus on Twitter! Timestamps for this episode: (2:22) Welcome back and introduction (6:13) Nikolaus explains why he thinks Russia has mobilized its troops outside Ukraine (8:45) Is it nonsense for Russia to claim that Kyiv is considering an assault on the Donbas? (15:49) Is Minsk II the only way forward diplomatically in the Donbas or is it now a dead agreement? (19:36) Is Zelensky still viewed in the West as pragmatic? (22:17) Can Russia claim to defend the interests of people in the Donbas if the breakaway “republics” are police states? (28:48) Outro and closing plug for donations! Music and audio for "The Russia Guy": Joey Pecoraro, "Russian Dance" Олег Анофриев, Бременские музыканты, “Говорят, мы бяки-буки” Support the show at Patreon!

2019 marked the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Eastern Partnership (EaP), when the EU strengthened its relationship with 6 Eastern partners. The identified goals committed the EU, its Member States and the six partners to achieve concrete improvement in four key areas: economy, governance, connectivity, and society. Georgia, as one of the most ambitious of the six partners, has seen its ties with the EU grow stronger since 2009. Several measures have contributed to this improvement, such as the ongoing opening of the EU market to Georgian products, the entry into force of visa liberalisation, agriculture modernisation, and infrastructure investment, amongst others.The EU has a strategy called “more for more”, meaning that the most ambitious of its partners should receive tangible recognition for their efforts to get closer to the EU. However, EU member states oppose any accession soon. This is why Georgia's government has been pushing for the country to join as many EU programmes as possible. In an effort to “set a new course”, as mentioned by Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili in July, Georgia wishes to be an ad-hoc case, a ‘testing ground' for a new path towards EU membership. Additionally, as tensions with Russia rise over the occupation of the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgia is also seeking more political support from the EU.

2019 marked the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Eastern Partnership (EaP), when the EU strengthened its relationship with 6 Eastern partners. The identified goals committed the EU, its Member States and the six partners to achieve concrete improvement in four key areas: economy, governance, connectivity, and society. Georgia, as one of the most ambitious of the six partners, has seen its ties with the EU grow stronger since 2009. Several measures have contributed to this improvement, such as the ongoing opening of the EU market to Georgian products, the entry into force of visa liberalisation, agriculture modernisation, and infrastructure investment, amongst others.The EU has a strategy called “more for more”, meaning that the most ambitious of its partners should receive tangible recognition for their efforts to get closer to the EU. However, EU member states oppose any accession soon. This is why Georgia’s government has been pushing for the country to join as many EU programmes as possible. In an effort to “set a new course”, as mentioned by Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili in July, Georgia wishes to be an ad-hoc case, a ‘testing ground’ for a new path towards EU membership. Additionally, as tensions with Russia rise over the occupation of the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgia is also seeking more political support from the EU.

Scott Ritter, former UN weapon inspector in Iraq, joins us to discuss Iran. The signatories of the Iran nuclear deal met in Vienna on Tuesday, and there are signals that the US is considering a return to the agreement. Also, Israel is voicing its fury at the prospect of a renewed deal, and are suspected to be involved in attacks on Iranian merchant marine vessels.Neil Clark, journalist and broadcaster, joins us to discuss Julian Assange. Eleven years after Wikileaks released the collateral murder video which documented US war crimes in Iraq, the publisher of the information languishes in Belmarsh prison and the perpetrators walk free. Also, Caitlin Johnstone writes that the persecution of Julian Assange exposes the West's moral high ground claims as fraudulent and hypocritical.Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, joins us to discuss domestic politics. The Senate parliamentarian has ruled that the upper chamber may use the reconciliation process at least two more times this year. This allows the ruling party to bypass the filibuster and pass legislation with a simple majority. This process may be used to pass both infrastructure and tax reform bills with no republican votes. Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War," joins us to discuss the Nordstream 2 pipeline project. Germany is caught in an international tug of war as they fight the Biden administration over their right to self-determination. Recently, anti-Russian forces in the US and EU have upped the ante as they have started sending ships and submarines to disrupt Germany's energy infrastructure plan. Many suspect that the US is interfering in German politics and supporting the Green party.Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo, professor at College of William & Mary and daughter of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, joins us to discuss the latest coronavirus news. Five US states, New York, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, are currently accounting for 44% of new covid positive cases in the last week. Also, the issue of vaccine passports is emerging as the next partisan divide in the US.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss Ukraine. The Eastern European nation has plunged the continent into a tense standoff by threatening war with Russia. Many are comparing Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky's ham-fisted military maneuvers with those of Georgian politician Mikheil Saakashvili, who led his nation into a disastrous confrontation with Russia in South Ossetia.James Carey, editor/co-owner of Geopoliticsalert.com, joins us to discuss Afghanistan. President Biden is not revealing whether he will pull the troops from Afghanistan before the May 1st deadline agreed upon in previous negotiations. Many international security analysts point to his hawkishness and militaristic Secretary of State Antony Blinken as an indicator that he will most likely continue, and possibly intensify the twenty-year conflict. Dan Kovalik, writer, author, and lawyer, joins us to discuss Haiti. In his latest article, Berthony Dupont argues that "our country has been and still is the victim of what must be called the war of American imperialism against Haiti." He believes that the nation is "sinking into violence and institutional crisis" that was established by the former colonial powers of America, France, and Canada.

Georgia has been at the heart of regional geopolitics for decades now, smashed between three expanding areas of influence from Moscow, Ankara and Tehran, with Georgia desperately trying to act as the neutral ground.  But war is already there in the Georgian homeland, with the two breakaway Moscow facing republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, adding more complications to an already tumultuous region.  On the panel this week.  Gerard Toal (Geopolitical Author) Natia Seskuria (RUSI) Neil Hauer (Conflict Journalist) Thomas De Waal (Carnegie Europe) Follow the show in @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com

The country of Georgia is one of the former Soviet states still fighting for autonomy from the Kremlin. With the ongoing Russian military occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, it’s not just an academic discussion. Today on Black Diplomats we have Dr. Sergi Kapanadze, a professor and politician in the Georgian opposition party. Kapanadze explains why his party has decided not to take their seats in Parliament, their allegations of voter fraud in the last election, and how the United States can help untie this knot. With hopes of joining the EU and drawing their economy closer to Europe, many in Georgia are fearful they could slide the other direction, ending up looking more like Belarus than Austria. Kapanadze doesn’t believe most members of the ruling Georgian Dream party want a more authoritarian government. He’s not so sure about Georgia prime minister Irakli Garibashvili. Host Terrell Starr spent two years in Georgia during his time in the Peace Corps, so the fate of the country has a personal stake for him. You can hear his love for the Georgian people all through this conversation. Thank you for listening!

What does it mean to be a citizen of Abkhazia, South Ossetia or any other de facto state? Are the people living in such territories stateless? What are some of the precarious situations they are faced with? In this episode, Ramesh Ganohariti, a PhD student from Dublin City University, shares his research on Citizenship in post-Soviet de facto States. Ramesh's research is funded by the Irish Research Council.

A Russian-brokered ceasefire signed on Nov. 9 ended six weeks of ferocious fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region. Russia has already deployed about 2,000 peacekeepers to the region to separate the combattants and guarantee the implementation of the agreement signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Radio Canada International spoke with Olesya Vartanyan of the International Crisis Group about the origins of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the oldest and the bloodiest ethnic conflict on the territory of the former Soviet Union, the reasons behind the failures of the various peace plans developed over a quarter century of negotiations, and the thorny and uncertain road to peace between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. (Photo courtesy of the International Crisis Group) Vartanyan is a senior analyst with the Crisis Group who specializes in regional security issues in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, with a particular focus on breakaway regions in the South Caucasus – Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia. Duration: 44 minutes 38 seconds https://www.rcinet.ca/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/11/NK_PODCAST-EP-1-ED2-8db_9635325_2020-11-20T17-26-39.132.mp3

This week our guest is Aleksandr Vladimirovich Cherkasov, chairof the board of Memorial Human Rights Centre. Aleksandr Vladimirovich is an 'engineer physicist' by education. He has been an activist with Memorial since 1989, and since 1991 he has worked at the Memorial Human Rights Centre, investigating the state of human rights and humanitarian law in various "hot spots", including Chechnya. Aleksandr Vladimirovich also investigated the events of 1993 in Moscow. During the first and second wars in Chechnya, he travelled dozens of times to combat zones to collect information and provide assistance to the victims of the conflict, searching for missing people, prisoners, kidnapped people and hostages. After the war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008 he repeatedly travelled to South Ossetia. We talked about all this and more about how Memorial has been affected by the law on foreign agents, about Natalia Estemirova, about Oyub Titiev, about Yury Dmitriev and about human rights in today's Russia and in the future.Sergei Nikitin writes: It has long been noticed that among human rights defenders there are many natural scientists, including those from the physical sciences. And just as under the Soviet regime scientific articles often began with Lenin's quote "The electron is as inexhaustible as the atom", so now an interview with a human rights activist with a background in science often begins with the question that goes approximately like this: "What is it in physics that turns those who study the subject into human rights activists? Simon Cosgrove and I began our conversation with Aleksandr Cherkasov in the very same vein: traditions are great things, it is not for us to break them. I would like to point out that during the conversation Aleksandr particularly emphasised the fact that he is a 'physics engineer' who is as far from being a physicist as the courtier is from the Sovereign. Perhaps this is true. But Sasha's storytelling is phenomenal, and he has much to tell. Apart from the fact that he has been involved in many things, remembers the smallest details, names and dates, he delights with his special view of events, his analysis and understanding of what is going on around him. And although Aleksandr insists that "we don't understand what's going on", stressing that this is the beauty of our world, he seems to understand a very great deal, noting that "Physics gives us reason to be optimistic under conditions of unpredictability and incomplete information," urging us to simply live in a world that is unpredictable and so beautiful. Listen to Aleksandr Cherkasov.The podcast is in the Russian language. You can also listen to this podcast via our website (https://rightsinrussia.org/podcasts) on SoundCloud (https://soundcloud.com/rightsinrussia) and on Spotify (open.spotify.com/show/7HdmvhzC2P6VQS8ijICNHZ) and Itunes (podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/simo...ei/id1495261418).The music is from Stravinsky's Elegy for Solo Viola, performed by Karolina Herrera.

Key Links Untamed Borders Group Trip To Madagascar  Support Counting Countries, and check out these trips from G Adventures  Support Counting Countries at Patreon Counting Countries Apparel    Francis popped up on my radar about a year ago, when former guest Fabio Cao brought him to my attention.  I hit google up and quickly realized Francis was an accomplished traveler, including a five year continuous journey across every country in Africa.  He seemed like a great fit for Counting Countries, but I neglected to reach out.  Then a recent email from listener, Francois Xavier, suggested that I have Francis on the podcast.  This email served as a catalyst for me to finally reach out to Francis and we promptly agreed upon a time to speak.  And I was really happy I did.       We recorded this episode back in February and obviously so much has changed since then.  I have been self-sheltering in Bangkok since my trip to West Africa was prematurely canceled on March 17.  I am recording this opening bumper on May 3 and things in Bangkok will be slowly opening up this week.  I hope everyone who is listening is safe and sound.     Also, I would like to introduce Counting Countries Mini.  I am hosting live interviews with  Country Counters on my Instagram account, GlobalGaz.   Support your content creators during this time of self-sheltering. Support Counting Countries on patreon.com.  And thanks to my other patrons, Steph Rowe, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Ryan Gazder, Stephen Rothwell, and Adam Hickman. My conversation with Francis is a long and rich one, but you will not be able to listen to the entire talk.  My patrons will hear 30 more additional minutes of our conversation. Untamed Borders our sponsor, regularly guides systematic travelers who are completing lists whether it is chasing 193, TCC, MTP or Nomad Mania.  So when travel situation improves please consider this great company.   The TCC has recently expanded their list to include South Ossetia where Untamed Borders has been guiding fans of unrecognized countries since 2014. Nomad Mania recently added the state of Jubbaland, an autonomous region in Somalia as a new region. Untamed Borders can take you to Kismayo, the capital of Jubbaland. This is in addition to their trips to Somaliland, Puntland and Mogadishu. And don’t forget for runners, Untamed Borders is also partnered with the Mogadishu and Somaliland Marathons. Finally, recent security improvements mean Untamed Borders can now guide you to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in Pakistan, Kandahar in Afghanistan and the Hadramout region of Yemen. These are all regions on the Nomad Mania and MTP lists that have been tricky for travellers to reach in the past. For more information visit their website at www.untamedborders.com or drop them a message at info@untamedborders.com. Francis veered left at the fork on the road.  Going left was a life of freedom, independence, and passion.  Going right, meant continuing down the path of the startup Silicon Valley rat race with his Harvard MBA.  Francis has trekked the Appalachian trail, the Continental Divide, and the El Camino.  He spent months exploring Eastern Europe.  And really spread his wings as he drove overland in Africa for five years.  Besides chasing 193, he is even chasing a more exclusive lis, which you will hear about.          I encourage you to subscribe wherever you listen, Apple Podcast, Google Play, or Spotify and write a review, even better when it is 5 stars.     Francis and I met up online, with Francis in San Francisco while I was in the Bangkok studio of Counting Countries. Please listen in and enjoy.      Thank you to my Patrons …. Stephen Rothwell, Steph Rowe, Adam Hickman, Bisa Myles, Ted Nims & Ryan Gazder.   Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel!  You can purchase them today on Amazon. And now you can listen to Counting Countries on Spotify! And Alexa!   Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! Check out our friend: Large Minority.  They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon.  And watch my full length documentary in Cambodia when I traveled with Large Minority.      Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who’ve spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter’s Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi.  About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl.  He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia.   Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com More About Francis: Born in: USA Passports: Chile, France, and USA Instagram: FTapon Podcast: Wander Learn Podcast Website: Francis Tapon    Well… that depends on who you ask!  The United Nations states that there are 193 member states. The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are 226 countries and territories. The Traveler’s Century Club states that there are 329 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 949 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania divides the world into 1281 regions.  SISO says there are 3,978 places in the world.   Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. An analysis of these lists and who is the best traveled by Kolja Spori.   Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda. Or book a trip through G Adventures.  PS  Thanks!      ----- Produced by Simpler Media

How does the situation of extremism look in Georgia and the South Caucasus? How can these countries deal with returning members of ISIS and the challenge of their re-integration? For this and much more, check out the latest episode of Talk Eastern Europe. In this episode, our co-hosts Adam and Maciek explore the current outlook for Georgia in the realm of security in the wider region of the South Caucasus which also touches the Middle East. They also discuss Georgia’s view of NATO ahead of the high-level NATO meeting in London in December 2019. The episode finishes with Maciek’s interview with Giorgi Goguadze, director at the Georgian Center for Strategy and Development in Tbilisi with a discussion on these issues as well as the situation with violent extremism in the country and region.While you are here – why not help us reach our goal of getting 7 new supporters by January 2020?! Click here to become a Patron: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope ResourcesGeorgia’s long and uncertain road to NATO membership by Giorgi Goguadze, New Eastern Europe issue 5/2019: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/08/26/georgias-long-and-uncertain-road-to-nato-membership/Georgia debates NATO membership excluding defence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, OC Media, https://oc-media.org/georgia-debates-nato-membership-excluding-defence-of-abkhazia-and-south-ossetia/US base in Georgia – A scarecrow in Russia’s backyard? By Beka Chedia, New Eastern Europe, 4 November 2019: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/11/04/us-base-in-georgia-a-scarecrow-in-russias-backyard/Music featured in the podcast licensed under the Creative Commons license 3.0/4.0:Intro: Indie Rock by Scott Holmes: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Road_Trip_Indie_Rock/Indie_Rock_1327Around the Cliffs by Lobo Loco is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 License: https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Lobo_Loco/My_Yearnings/Arround_the_Cliffs_ID_1202This episode is supported by funding from the Polish Embassy in Tbilisi in the framework of the NATO Contact Point Embassy (We thank them for their support!)

If there’s one thing the Caucasus is not short on, its complexity.  Complexity of languages, cultures, borders, history, politics, religion, even food!  But if there’s one thing that balances that complexity—or maybe just outweighs it—it’s beauty. In Episodes 60 and 61 we take a dip into two of these fabulously complex and equally lovely regions: … Continue reading "CT61 – South Ossetia | Dima from Caucasus Explorer!"

On June 4, for the first time, Armenia abstained from voting on a UN resolution that reaffirms the rights of Georgians displaced from South Ossetia and Abkhazia to return to their homes. This decision by Armenia’s government has wide implications – it’s a gesture of friendship towards Georgia, but it also exposes the critical geopolitical realities, number one being the issue of Russia influencing not just Armenia’s vote at the UN but also Armenia’s place in the international community.

The podcast was recorded during the event entitled "Conflicts in the OSCE area: How to melt the frozen land", supported by MEP Eduard Kukan (EPP). ----- The motto of the Slovak Chairmanship of OSCE, which started on January 1st, 2019, reads: “For people, dialogue and stability.” Amongst the three key priorities, prevention, mediation and mitigation of conflicts, focusing on the people it affects plays a key function. As the OSCE area currently comprises long-term protracted conflicts Slovakia, together with OSCE’s international community, leads the effort for an essential engagement in order to overcome the current neglect. Although the peace processes have been frozen, the conflicts themselves are far from being “frozen” for the local population. The four pre-2014 disputes in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria, and Nagorno-Karabakh received no recognition by the United Nations. Crimea, on the other hand, constitutes a highly special case, as the peninsula has been under the “de facto” control and jurisdiction of Russia. Moreover, the Donbass conflict is currently and quietly turning into one of them. Due to the uncertain legal status of these territories, the international community, including the European Union, has very limited options for direct engagement in solving them. Yet, the existing participation of the OSCE in mediation efforts to resolve the conflicts is vital. But then again, what is there to be done? Have efforts to “unfreeze” these conflicts failed and which political decisions have ceased to operate effectively? Can the current state of frozen conflicts improve, or will it rather escalate further, due to Russia’s direct action in the post-Soviet sphere of influence? Does the European Union have the means, the capacities and the political will to effectively engaged? And can the effort of the Slovak OSCE Chairmanship, with its focus on promoting the Structured Dialogue as a crucial method for fostering dialogue, do justice to ongoing efforts? PANELISTS: - Eduard Kukan, Member of the European Parliament (EPP) - Marcel Peško, OSCE, Director of Conflict Prevention Centre - Róbert Kirnág, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the SR; Director, Slovak OSCE Chairmanship 2019 - Samuel Goda, Analyst, SFPA MODERATOR: - Zuzana Gabrižová, EURACTIV Slovakia

We knew it was coming, and now it's here: A coup is in progress in Venezuela. In this follow up episode to CD176 (Target Venezuela: Regime Change in Progress), learn additional backstory and details about the recent events in Venezuela, including the proclamation by Juan Guaido that he is now the President of Venezuela and all of the efforts being made by the Trump administration to get this regime change to stick. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD186: National Endowment for Democracy CD176: Target Venezuela: Regime Change in Progress Sound Clip Sources Hearing: U.S. Africa and Southern Command Operations, Senate Armed Service Committee, C-SPAN, February 7, 2019. Witnesses: Admiral Craig Fuller - U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) Commander Sound Clips: 16:10 Fuller While Russia and Cuba and China prop up the Maduro dictatorship, the reminder of the world is united. SOUTHCOM is supporting diplomatic efforts and we are prepared to protect U.S. personal and diplomatic facilities, if necessary. 53:44 Sen. Rick Scott In the Venezuelan military, have you -- have you seen any cracking from the standpoint, what we've been doing over the last -- especially the last two weeks, has any thing changed? Fuller - Certainly, there's been readiness aspects of their military that we watch very closely. It's a degraded force, but it is still a force that remains loyal to Maduro, and that makes it dangerous. We're looking for signs of those cracking, and we can talk in the closed session on some more details in trends we're seeing. 1:00:00 Sen. Tom Cotton (AR) - He said earlier Cuban guards completely surround the Maduro government. Does that mean that Maduro is dependent on the Cuban security and intelligence forces for his continuation in office? Fuller - Senator, I think it's a good sense of where the loyalty of the Venezuelan people are that to his immediate security forces made up of Cubans. Cotton  - So the men that surround Maduro, like our Secret Service, are Cubans not Venezuelans. Fuller - That's my understanding and assessment. 1:01:54 Fuller - I would also mention that the presence of China, China has not been helpful in a diplomatic way. I will leave that to the diplomats. China is there and involved in cyber in ways that are absolutely not helpful to the democratic outcome. 1:18:47 Sen Tim Kaine (VA) - If the world wants to see a democracy versus a dictatorship challenge Venezuela is just like the perfect test case for circa 2019, what do democracies care for an what dictatorships care for, Venezuela government of Maduro is supported by Russia, Cuba, and Iran. And they are enabling him to do all kinds of horrible things economically and in violation of human rights. The interim government, which has a constitutional claim in the vacancy of a president, the speaker of the legislative assembly becomes interim president supported by the United States and the EU. You really can see what the difference between democracy and the aspirations of democratic governments and dictatorship and what they care about very clearly int eh Venezuela circumstance now. Here's the reality, we are dealing with regional institutions like the OAS, every nation has one vote. The U.S. has a hard time to get the UA asked firmly come out against the Maduro government because many Caribbean nations still support the Maduro government. They've been bribed to do so with low-price oil. But it's very hard for us to do something like this on our won and when a principal regional institution like the LAS is not completely with us it's hard to put the appropriate pressure on. Interview: Mnuchin says Trump's economic plan is working and 'we're not going back to socialism', CNBC, February 6, 2019. 00:58:37 Steven Mnuchin : I’ve always watched the stock market a lot. I’ve been in the investment business since I graduated from Yale and I’ve tended to watch the stock market every day since then... As the President talked about last night, his economic program is working. We’re not going back to socialism. We’re going on an economic plan for America that works. 2019 State of the Union Address: Trump appeals for unity to end political gridlock, February 5, 2019. 2019 State of the Union Address: Trump Praises the Venezuela Coup, February 5, 2019. 1:05:28 President Donald Trump - Two weeks ago, the United States officially recognized the legitimate government of Venezuela, and its new interim President, Juan Guaido. We stand with the Venezuelan people in their noble quest for freedom -- and we condemn the brutality of the Maduro regime, whose socialist policies have turned that nation from being the wealthiest in South America into a state of abject poverty and despair. Here, in the United States, we are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our country. America was founded on liberty and independence --- not government coercion, domination, and control. We are born free, and we will stay free. Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country. Interview: President Trump on "Face the Nation," CBS News, February 3, 2019. 00:42:58 MARGARET BRENNAN: What would make you use the U.S. military in Venezuela? What's the national security interest? PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well I don't want to say that. But certainly it's something that's on the- it's an option. MARGARET BRENNAN: Would you personally negotiate with Nicolás Maduro to convince him to exit. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well he is requested a meeting and I've turned it down because we're very far along in the process. You have a young and energetic gentleman but you have other people within that same group that have been very very - if you talk about democracy - it's really democracy in action. MARGARET BRENNAN: When did he request a meeting? PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We're going to see what happened. A number of months ago he wanted to meet. Interview: National Security Adviser Ambassador John Bolton, interviewed by Hugh Hewitt, Hugh Hewitt Book Club, February 1, 2019. Transcript Sound Clips: 01:20:23 Hugh Hewitt: There are reports of Venezuela shipping gold to the United Arab Emirates. The UAE is a very close ally of ours. Have you asked the UAE to sequester that gold? John Bolton: Let me just say this. We’re obviously aware of those reports consistent with what we did on Monday against PDVSA, the state-owned oil monopoly where we imposed crippling sanctions. Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary, is implementing them as we speak. We’re also looking at cutting off other streams of revenue and assets for the Maduro mafia, and that certainly includes gold. And we’ve already taken some steps to neutralize gold that’s been out of the country used as collateral for bank loans. We’ve frozen, and our friends in Europe, have frozen a substantial amount of that. We want to try and do the same here. We’re on top of it. That’s really all I can say at the moment. Council Session: Political Situation in Venezuela, Atlantic Council, January 30, 2019. Witnesses: Ed Royce - Former Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Carlos Alfredo Vecchio - Voluntad Popular Co-Founder, Interim Venezuelan Charge d’Affaires to the U.S. Julio Borges - Former President for the National Assembly of Venezuela David O’Sullivan - European Union Ambassador to the United States Sound Clips: 11:30 Carlos Alfredo Vecchio (via translator): What do we want to do? What is what we are asking the international community to support us with? First, to put an end to the usurpation of power by Nicolas Maduro. We cannot resolve the political and economic and social crisis as long as the dictatorship is in place. And this is something that we have to make clear. That is my priority, is to put an end to that and to help orchestrate international support to put an end to Maduro's dictatorship. 13:30 Carlos Alfredo Vecchio (via translator): Just to make very clear, I mean, from an economic point of view, we believe in an open market, an open economy. We believe in the private sector, we believe in the international and the national sectors, though, often, of course, our main source of revenue is the oil sector. So that would be a key element to recover our country, and we need to open that market. We need to increase our oil production. 39:15 David O’Sullivan: I think we absolutely share the same objective here. The European Union has always believed that the situation in Venezuela is unsustainable. We did not accept the results of the so-called elections last year. We declined collectively to attend the inauguration. And we are wholly supportive of the efforts of the National Assembly and Guaido to restore true democracy and free and fair elections. 48:00 Representative Ed Royce (CA): And a few years ago when the people in Venezuela elected the National Assembly, over two-thirds opposition to Maduro, he doubled down by asking China to bring the ZTE Corporation in and do a social credit system inside Venezuela on the same basis that it's done in China, which means that you now need that card in order to get food or medicine or your pension or your basic services. 48:30 Representative Ed Royce (CA): The fact that this ZTE-type arrangement exists in Venezuela, and now it exists in North Korea, and there's one other country where they have a contract—they're putting it in the Republic of Iran—this represents a new challenge to democracies. 1:15:00 Carlos Alfredo Vecchio: Just to make very clear, I mean, from an economic point of view, we believe in an open market, an open economy. We believe in the private sector, we believe in the international and the national sectors, though, often, of course, our main source of revenue is the oil sector. So that would be a key element to recover our country, and we need to open that market. We need to increase our oil production. 1:23:30 Carlos Alfredo Vecchio: Those agreements that has not been recognized by an international examiner, who has been illegal, we will not recognize illegal agreements. The rest, yes, we will comply with that. And let me send a clear message. For example, the only way that bond holders will not get paid, if Maduro remains in power. Nobody will complain with them. And China has to understand that, and Russia has to understand that. Discussion: Political Situation in Venezuela, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), January 29, 2019. Witnesses: Gustavo Tarre - George Washington University, CSIS Americas Program member, Designated Venezuelan Ambassador to the Organization of American States (appointed by Juan Guaido William Brownfield - Former US Ambassador to Venezuela, Chile, and Columbia during the George W. Bush administration and Obama administration Michael Matera - Center for Strategic & International Studies, America’s Program Director Sound Clips: 3:30 Michael Matera: In what is shaping up to be a very unstable and potentially explosive situation in Venezuela, the leading authoritarian nations of the world have stood by Maduro. Russia, Iran, Turkey, China, and Cuba, among a few others, have stated their continued recognition of Maduro. The future of Venezuela is turning more clearly than ever into a proxy struggle between the authoritarian regimes and the democratic nations. Venezuela could easily become the active front on which this struggle is defined. 8:15 Gustavo Tarre: Not only because his knowledge of Venezuela— Madea Benjamin: Not easy because you are here representing a coup. You are totally illegitimate. Nobody elected Juan Guaido, and nobody legitimate appointed you. You are taking Venezuela down the path of a civil war— Unknown Male Speaker: Excuse me. Excuse me, ma’am. Madea Benjamin: How dare you go to a civil war? What kind of patriot are you that allow yourself to be manipulated— Unknown Male Speaker: Out. Get out. Madea Benjamin: —by Donald Trump, John Bolton, and now Elliott Abrams, the ultra hawk. It is a very dangerous situation. We need negotiations, which is why we should be supporting Mexico and Uruguay in their call for negotiations. You don't follow the coup collaborators, like this man right here. Say no to coup. Unknown Male Speaker: See ‘ya. Ambassador— Madea Benjamin: We’re in the 21st century. 1:08:50 William Brownfield: What is the Cuban interest? It's 50,000 barrels of oil a day to an energy-starved nation. What is the Chinese approach? It is very much an economic approach, which is to say there are raw materials of great importance to the Chinese economy that are located in Venezuela, and they have a long-term economic interest in having access to them, driven by economics. Russia is more complicated. They do not need oil. They are, in fact, one of the three largest oil producers in the world right now, who produce more than their national need. It is geostrategic politics. I would offer everyone two thoughts—because I have taken this question from excellent representatives of the media over the last week with some frequency—first, don't listen that closely to the words that you hear from the governments of China or Russia. See if they put another billion or two or three billion investment into Venezuela. Money talks, and I have not seen evidence of that, which suggests that they, too, are pausing and taking a look at what happens. And second, if I could be Russia-specific briefly, I would note, and we all realize this, that over the last 10 years or so, Russia annexed the Crimea, and the Western democracies criticized and protested. Russia created two new republics—one in South Ossetia, the other in North Georgia, I believe—and the Western world protested. Russia at least supported, and I would argue actually infiltrated, large numbers of security personnel into the two easternmost provinces of Ukraine, and the Western world criticized. But at the end of the day, geography and history determined the Crimea is still under Russian control, South Ossetia and North Georgia still exist as independent states, and Russian influence is still quite visible in and whatever the other province is called. All right. That is geographic reality. We are now in the Western Hemisphere. If Brazil and Colombia and Argentina and Canada and the United States take a position, those same geographic realities will, in fact, move in the other direction. Of course we must listen to the Russian and Chinese governments—they are two of perhaps the three most important governments in the world—but we're entitled to use our brains as we calculate what they are saying and how we respond to it. 1:16:30 William Brownfield: What if Maduro hangs on yet once again, which by the way, ladies and gentlemen, is not inconceivable; it's happened before. We had not quite this much of a conversation, but in 2017 some sensed that things might be happening, and they did not happen. Is it possible again? Of course, it is. That is why we talk about a strategy, an international community strategy with two elements: one element being focused on the Maduro de _____(00:35) esta, the removal of that government, and that strategic component is not eliminated until someone new has moved into Miraflores Palace; and the second, related but separate element of planning for the day after. Hearing: Hearing to Consider Worldwide Threats, Select Committee on Intelligence, U.S. Senate, January 29, 2019. C-SPAN Report Video Witnesses: Dan Coats - Director of National Intelligence Christopher Wray - FBI Director Gina Haspel - CIA Director Lt. General Robert Ashley - Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Director General Paul Nakasone - National Security Agency Director Sound Clips: 1:11:00 Senator Marco Rubio (FL): We know they have openly and repeatedly, at least Maduro has, invited the Russians and Putin to establish either a rotational or a permanent presence somewhere in Venezuela, thereby creating a Russian military presence in the Western Hemisphere. In fact, they flew, about three weeks ago or a month ago, two Russian nuclear-capable bombers into the Caribbean Sea. 1:12:15 Senator Marco Rubio (FL): Is it not in the national interest of the United States of America that the Maduro regime fall and be replaced by a democratic and more responsible government? 1:15:15 Lieutenant General Robert Ashley: The reference you made to the Tu-160 Blackjacks that flew those strategic bombers, third iteration of that—first time was in '08, and then '14, and we've seen it again. As far as presence on the ground, we can talk a little bit more detail in a closed session about where we see Russia and China going with that greater instability. But in the open press, what you've seen thus far really is nothing more than just vocal support that's coming out of Moscow and that's coming out of China as well, but there is relationship there. From the military standpoint in the way of training, lots of Venezuelan officers go to Russia for training, and there's a reciprocal relationship for equipping them as well. 1:16:00 Senator Angus King (ME): In light of Senator Rubio's comments, I'd just like to note of caution, he listed refugee flows, human rights abuses, and corruption. There are lots of countries in the world that meet that description, and our right or responsibility to generate regime change in a situation like that, I think, is a slippery slope. And I have some real caution about what our vital interests are and whether it's our right or responsibility to take action to try to change the government of another sovereign country. That same description would have led us into a much more active involvement in Syria, for example, five or six years ago, other parts of the country. I just wanted to note that. Fox Business Video: John Bolton on Regime Change in Venezuela, Iraqi Christian HRC, Twitter, January 28, 2019. White House Daily Briefing: Trump Administration sanctions against Venezuela's state-owned oil company, January 28, 2019. Speakers: Steve Mnuchin - Treasury Secretary John Bolton - National Security Advisor Sound Clips: 1:26 John Bolton: As you know, on January the 23rd, President Trump officially recognized the president of the Venezuela National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as the interim president of Venezuela. Venezuela's National Assembly invoked Article 233 of the country's constitution to declare Nicolas Maduro illegitimate. This action was a statement that the people of Venezuela have had enough of oppression, corruption, and economic hardship. Since then, 21 other governments in the region and across the world have joined the United States in recognizing Guaido as Venezuela's interim president. 3:53 John Bolton: I reiterate that the United States will hold Venezuelan security forces responsible for the safety of all U.S. diplomatic personnel, the National Assembly, and President Guido. Any violence against these groups would signify a grave assault on the rule of law and will be met with a significant response. 4:24 Steven Mnuchin: Today Treasury took action against Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA, to help prevent the further diversion of Venezuela’s assets by former President Maduro. 5:21 Steven Mnuchin: The path to sanctions relief for PDVSA is through the expeditious transfer of control to the interim president or a subsequent democratically elected government who is committed to taking concrete and meaningful actions to combat corruption. 5:40 Steven Mnuchin: Today OFAC also issued a number of general licenses that authorize certain transactions and activities with PDVSA for limited periods of time to minimize any immediate disruptions and support of ongoing humanitarian efforts. 6:00 Steven Mnuchin: Citgo assets in the United States will be able to continue to operate provided that any funds that would otherwise go to PDVSA instead will go into a blocked account in the United States. 6:10 Steven Mnuchin: Refineries in the United States have already been taking steps to reduce the reliance on imports from Venezuela. Those imports have fallen substantially in recent months. We have also issued general licenses to ensure that certain European and Caribbean countries can make an orderly transition. 6:20 Steven Mnuchin: We continue to call on all of our allies and partners to join the United States in recognizing Interim President Guaido in blocking Maduro from being able to access PDVSA funds. 7:10 Reporter: Is there any circumstance under which American forces would get involved? John Bolton: Well, the president has made it very clear on this matter that all options are on the table. 7:43 Steven Mnuchin: But effective immediately, any purchases of Venezuelan oil by U.S. entities, money will have to go into blocked accounts. Now, I've been in touch with many of the refineries. There is a significant amount of oil that's at sea that's already been paid for. That oil will continue to come to the United States. If the people in Venezuela want to continue to sell us oil, as long as that money goes into blocked accounts, we'll continue to take it. Otherwise, we will not be buying it. And again, we have issued general licenses, so the refineries in the United States can continue to operate. 9:06 Steven Mnuchin: The purpose of sanctions is to change behavior. So when there is a recognition that PDVSA is the property of the rightful rulers, the rightful leaders, the president, then, indeed, that money will be available to Guaido. 9:52 John Bolton: And the authoritarian regime of Chavez and Maduro has allowed penetration by adversaries of the United States, not least of which is Cuba. Some call the country now Cubazuela, reflecting the grip that Cuba’s military and security forces have on the Maduro regime. We think that’s a strategic significant threat to the United States, and there are others as well, including Iran’s interest in Venezuelan’s uranium deposits. 15:56 Steven Mnuchin: We're dealing with Venezuelan oil that is a rather modest part of our overall supply. Again, we're a net exporter of energy. We are particularly concerned that there were a handful of refineries that had a dependence on Venezuelan oil. I think they read the tea leaves. They reduced that dependence significantly along the way. Most of them have in the neighborhood of 10% or less of their dependent on Venezuelan oil. So, I don't expect that people will see an impact on the gas pumps. 17:10 Steven Mnuchin: I’m sure many of our friends in the Middle East will be happy to make up the supply as we push down Venezuela’s supply. Meeting: Secretary Pompeo Speaks at U.N. Security Council Meeting on Venezuela, January 26, 2019. Speaker: Mike Pompeo - Secretary of State Sound Clips: 2:20 Mike Pompeo: Let’s be crystal clear: The foreign power meddling in Venezuela today is Cuba. Cuba has directly made matters worse and the United States and our partners are the true friends of the Venezuelan people. 16:40 Mike Pompeo: Such scenes of misery are now the norm in Venezuela, where millions of children are suffering from malnutrition and starvation, thanks to a socialist experiment that caused the economy to collapse. 20:24 Mike Pompeo: And now it’s time for every other nation to pick a side. No more delays. No more games. Either you stand with the forces of freedom or you’re in league with Maduro and his mayhem... But no regime has done more to sustain the nightmarish condition of the Venezuelan people than the regime in Havana. For years, Cuban security and intelligence thugs, invited into Venezuela by Maduro himself and those around him, have sustained this illegitimate rule. They have trained Maduro’s security and intelligence henchmen in Cuba’s own worst practices. Cuba’s interior ministry even provides former President Maduro’s personal security... Some countries have publicly taken former President Maduro’s side. China, Russia, Syria, and Iran are just four of them. Just this morning, we tried to find a way for this council to speak in one voice in support of the Venezuelan people and our democratic ideals through a presidential statement not this council. But our Russian and Chinese colleagues refused to let this move forward. It’s not a surprise that those that rule without democracy in their own countries are trying to prop up Maduro while he is in dire straights. Meeting: U.N. Security Council Meeting on the Situation in Venezuela, January 26, 2019. Speakers: Jorge Arreaza - Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elliott Abrams - U.S. Special Envoy to Venezuela Sound Clips: 00:10 Jorge Arreaza: So 2002 is a direct precedent to what is happening. They were behind the coup d’etat. They weren’t as much in the vanguard or in advance as this time. They recognized Carmona, the dictator for the 72 hours that it lasted... It was on the 22nd, where Vice President Pence basically in a tweet gave a green light for a coup d’etat in Venezuela. As Under Secretary General said the interim President is self proclaimed. There was no ceremony. It was self proclamation by a member of Parliament at a public rally, at a peaceful public rally, one of many that there have been over the past years... If one of you can tell me in which article and which provision of the United Nations charter you can find the legal basis for self proclamation who wasn’t elected by anyone as President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, then we can open a discussion on the legal aspects, but I don’t think that will happen... At last we have a chance to speak. We have a written text but before that I wanted to share some thoughts with you. Indeed, we can even thank Mr. Mike Pompeo because in the face of failure at the Organization of American States on the 24th of January, they didn’t have enough weight to impose a resolution, well they convened a meeting of the Security Council. In fact, we - President Maduro - thought of appealing to this body not only to debate the case of Venezuela but rather the blatant and gross intervention, and mechanisms of interference by the United States in our country. In this case, the United States is not behind the coup d’etat, it is in advance in the vanguard of the coup d’etat. It is dictating the orders not only to the Venezuelan opposition but also to the satellite governments in the region, and it seems it Europe and in other parts of the world. 31:47 Elliot Abrams: I can not respond to every attack that was made on every country here. The insults that were made by calling many countries here “satellites”. In fact, it was interesting that every single country that was attacked - or criticized - was a democracy. Every single one that you criticized was a democracy... Today there is a satellite present here and it is Venezuela, which is unfortunately has become a satellite of Cuba and Russia... The regime is hiding behind, and it’s spokesman is hiding behind, the laws and constitution of Venezuela. Hearing: Defense Department Nominations, Senate Armed Services Committee, January 25, 2019. Witness: Vice Admiral Craig Faller - US Southern Command Commander Sound Clips: 1:37:00 Senator Bill Nelson (FL): What do you think that is the proper role of SouthCom in supporting the Venezuelan people now, in this time of exceptional chaos? Craig Faller: Senator, the Southern Command is focused on supporting our partners—Brazil, Columbia, those that have been most affected by the migrants, the spillover of some one-million-plus in Columbia. Recently, visited Columbia was the secretary of defense. President Duque is keenly aware and sharply focused on all his security challenges, and this is at the top of that list. As a result of the Columbian government's request, we intend to deploy the hospital ship Comfort—it will be underway shortly. It was delayed because of the hurricane—to the region to help our partners offset some of the impacts of this, particularly with the medical care that's been required and the strain that's placed on the resources. Fox Business Video: Vice President Mike Pence Tweet about US recognizing Guaido as Venezuelan President, Twitter, January 23, 2019. 00:33:32 Vice President Mike Pence: Today, freedom broke out in Venezuela with the recognition of a new interim president in Juan Guaido, a courageous man who stepped forward, the President of the National Assembly who took the oath of office, and I couldn’t be more proud that at President Trump’s direction, the United States of America became the first country in the world to recognize President Guaido, and now many other nations join us as well. Video: Vice President Mike Pence Tweet about Venezuela, Twitter, January 22, 2019. Vice President Mike Pence: Hola. I’m Mike Pence, the Vice President of the United States, and on behalf of President Donald Trump and all the American people, let me express the unwavering support of the United States as you - the people of Venezuela - raise your voices in a call for freedom. Nicholas Maduro is a dictator with no legitimate claim to power. He’s never won the Presidency in a free and fair election and he’s maintained his grip on power by imprisoning anyone who dares to oppose him. The United States joins with all freedom loving nations in recognizing the National Assembly as the last vestige of democracy in your country, for it’s the only body elected by you, the people. As such, the United States supports the courageous decision by Juan Guaido, the President of your National Assembly, to assert that body’s constitutional powers, declare Maduro a usurper, and call for the establishment of a transitional government. As you make your voices heard tomorrow, on behalf of the American people, we say to all the good people of Venezuela, estamos con ustedes. We are with you. We stand with you and we will stay with you until democracy is restored and you reclaim your birthright of libertad. Muchas gracias y vayan con Dios. Hearing: Foreign Policy in the Western Hemisphere, House Foreign Affairs Committee, July 11, 2018. Witnesses: Kenneth Merten - Deputy Assistant secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Sarah-Ann Lynch - USAID Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean Sound Clips: 27:30 Chairman Ed Royce (CA): And meanwhile, despite sitting on the world's largest oil reserves, Venezuelan oil production has fallen by half in the last few years. Venezuela in the meantime has been sending several hundred thousand barrels of oil every day to China as repayment on the tens of billions of dollars it has borrowed. And more recently, China's development bank announced a new quarter-billion dollar investment to shore up Venezuela's struggling oil production. Video: You're Welcome, Duane Johnson, Moana, YouTube, November 28, 2019. Hearing: The Collapse of the Rule of Law in Venezuela, Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, July 19, 2017. Witness: Luis Almagro - Secretary General of the Organization of American States Sound Clips: 07:15 Senator Marco Rubio: I also know this, and I do not speak for the president, but I’ve certainly spoken to the president, and I will only reiterate what he has already said, and I’ve been saying this now for a number of days: it is my—I have 100% confidence that if democracy is destroyed once and for all in Venezuela on the 30th in terms of the Maduro regime, the president of the U.S. is prepared to act unilaterally in a significant and swift way. And that is not a threat; that is the reporting of the truth. Hearing: Full Committee Hearing Venezuela: Options for U.S. Policy, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, March 2, 2017. Witnesses: Dr. David Smilde - Professor at Tulane University & NYT writer Dr. Shannon O’Neil - Council on Foreign Relations Former equity analyst at Indosuez Capital and Credit Lyonnais Securities Member of the Board of Directors at Rassini, an multinational auto parts manufacturers that make parts for US auto companies Senior advisor for Latin America at Macro Advisory Partners, a multinational consulting firm founded in 2013 Mark Feierstein - Center for Strategic and International Studies Senior Advisor to the Albright Stonbridge Group CLS Strategies GBA Strategies Special assistant to President Obama and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs Former Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean at USAID Worked in State Dept and USAID in Clinton Administration Former principal at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, an international political consulting firm Sound Clips: 21:53 Shannon O’Neil: Multilateral initiatives are perhaps more important and potentially more fruitful as a means to influence Venezuela. This will mean working behind the scenes to galvanize opposition and condemnation for the Maduro regime. This’ll be more effective than U.S. efforts alone as it will be much harder for the Venezuelan government to dismiss the criticisms and the actions of its South American neighbors as imperialist overreach. And such a coalition is much more possible today than in any time in the recent past, due both to the accelerating repression and the breaking of the last democratic norms in Venezuela, and due to the very different stances of South America’s recently elected leaders, particularly in Peru, in Brazil, and in Argentina. 41:12 Senator Bob Menendez: I’m pleased to have led a bipartisan and bicameral letter of my colleagues, urging the administration to take actions against the administration, and I look forward for a continuing engagement. But I hope we can work together to hold human-rights violators and drug traffickers, send a clear message, “If you’re going to violate rights of others inside of Venezuela, know that you’re next. Know that you’re next.” And while the Maduro regime may have sanctioned me and forbidden my entry into Venezuela, it will not stop me from pursuing this issue. Video Compilation: Either With Us or With the Terrorists - President George W. Bush, YouTube, May 26, 2013 Additional Reading Article: How Washington funded the counterrevolution in Venezuela by Tim Gill and Rebecca Hansen, The Nation, February 8, 2019. Statement: Pelosi statement on the situation in Venezuela, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, February 8, 2019. Article: Venezuela says plan from Miami delivered weapons for use by enemies of Maduro by Tim Johnson, McClatchy DC, February 7, 2019. Article: Senators fail to reach deal on recognizing Venezuela's Guaido, aide says by Daniel Flatley, Bloomberg, February 7, 2019. Article: Bipartisan Venezuela legislation fizzles over use of military force by Leigh Ann Caldwell and Josh Lederman, NBC News, February 6, 2019. Article: Spotify podcast acquisitions will bring a lot of money into tiny industry by Taylor Telford, The Washington Post, February 6, 2019. Article: Spotify technology S.A. announces financial results for fourth quarter 2018, Spotify Investors, February 6, 2019. Article: Trump's Venezuela envoy to testify to U.S. House panel amid crisis by Patricia Zengerle and Arshad Mohammed, Reuters, February 6, 2019. Article: Russia starts to worry Maduro's grip is slipping in Venezuela, The Moscow Times, February 6, 2019. Article: French, German farmers destroy crops after GMOs found in BAyer seeds by Sybille de La Hamaide, Reuters, February 6, 2019. Article: Venezuela opposition will name new Citgo board this week: WSJ, Reuters, February 6, 2019. Article: How the neocons captured Donald Trump by Brian D'Haeseleer, The Washington Post, February 5, 2019. Article: Lima group warns against Venezuela military intervention, France 24, February 5, 2019. Article: Maduro's allies: Who backs the Venezuelan regime? by Rocio Cara Labrador, Council on Foreign Relations, February 5, 2019. Article: What does it mean for the United States to recognize Juan Guaido as Venezuela's President? by Scott R. Anderson, Lawfare, February 1, 2019. Article: Venezuela opposition leader outlines plan to revive nation by Ryan Dube and Kejal Vyas, The Wall Street Journal, January 31, 2019. Article: Elliott Abrams, Trump's pick to bring "democracy" to Venezuela, has spent his life crushing democracy by John Schwarz, The Intercept, January 30, 2019. Article: U.S. push to oust Venezuela's Maduro marks first shot in plan to reshape Latin America by Jessica Donati, Vivian Salama, and Ian Talley, The Wall Street Journal, January 30, 2019. Article: The real reason why those foreign powers are so interested in Venezuela by Melik Kaylan, Forbes, January 29, 2019. Article: How Citgo, a U.S. oil company, became Venezuela's lifeline by Adam Taylor, The Washington Post, January 29, 2019. Article: US diplomat convicted over Iran-Contra appointed special envoy for Venezuela by Julian Borger, The Guardian, January 26, 2019. Tweet: America stands by the people of #Venezuela... Nancy Pelosi, Twitter, January 24, 2019. Article: Russia warns U.S. not to intervene in Venezuela as military backs Maduro by Ana Vanessa Herrero and Neil MacFarquhar, The New York Times, January 24, 2019. Tweet: The citizens of Venezuela have suffered for too long at... Donald J. Trump, January 23, 2019. Tweet: Today @POTUS announced the U.S. officially recognizes Juan Guaido as... Vice President Mike Pence, January 23, 2019. Tweet: .@POTUS & the US stand w/ the Venezuelan peopl eas they seek to regain their liberty from... Vice President Mike Pence, January 22, 2019. Article: Brazil's Bolsonaro pledges action to 'restore democracy' in Venezuela, Reuters, January 17, 2019. Article: Venezuela is in crisis. So how did Maduro secure a second term? by Ana Vanessa Herrero and Megan Specia, The New York Times, January 10, 2019. Article: Lima group says it won't recognize Maduro's new term as president of Venezuela by Jim Wyss, Miami Herald, January 4, 2019. Article: Trump taps ex-Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan as acting Defense Secretary by Darko Janjevic, DW, December 23, 2018. Article: Russia sends 2 nuclear-capable bombers to Venezuela by Vladimir Isachenkov, Navy Times, December 10, 2018. Article: Russia signs $6 billion investment deals with Venezuela, Maduro says, The Moscow Times, December 7, 2018. Press Release: Rubio, Van Hollen urge administration to investigate ZTE business with Venezuelan government, Marco Rubio Newsroom, November 28, 2018. Article: How ZTE helps Venezuela create China-style social control by Angus Berwick, Reuters, November 14, 2018. Article: Trump administration tightens sanctions gains Cuba, Venezuela by Courtney McBride, The Wall Street Journal, November 1, 2018. Article: Canada's Rusoro Mining reaches $1.3B deal with Venezuela by Cecilia Jamasmie, Mining.com, October 12, 2018. Article: Rusoro Mining has received a settlement proposal from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Rusoro Mining News, October 11, 2018. Article: Venezuela hands China more oil peresence, but no mention of new funds by Ben Blanchard and Alexandra Ulmer, Reuters, September 14, 2018. Article: Trump administration discussed coup plans with rebel Venezuelan officers by Ernesto Londono and Nicholas Casey, The New York Times, September 8, 2018. Article: A record-breaking market doesn't matter to most Americans by Helaine Olen, The Washington Post, August 22, 2018. Article: The politics of food in Venezuela by Ana Felicien, Christina Schiavoni, and Liccia Romero, Monthly Review, June 1, 2018.html) by William Neuman and Nicholas Casey, The New York Times, May 20, 2018. Article: Regional leaders call on Venezuela to suspend 'illegitimate' election by Eli Meixler, Time, May 15, 2018. Article: [Venezuela election won by Maduro amid widespread disillusionment](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/20/world/americas/venezuela-election. Article: US media ignore - and applaud - economic war on Venezuela by Gregory Shupak, Common Dreams, March 22, 2018. Article: Rusoro mining wins key U.S. court ruling confirming arbitration award, Rusoro Mining News, March 14, 2018. Article: Venezuela's Maduro calls for 'mega-election' that could cement his power by Rachelle Krygier, The Washington Post, February 22, 2018. Article: Venezuela opposition will boycott election, and Maduro tightens his hold by Ana Vanessa Herrero and Kirk Semple, The New York Times, February 21, 2018. Article: Venezuela launches virtual currency, hoping to resuscitate economy by Kirk Semple and Nathaniel Popper, The New York Times, February 20, 2018. Tweet: The world would support the Armed Forces in #Venezuela if they decide to... Marco Rubio, February 9, 2018. Article: Few challengers in sight, Venezuela sets April 22 for presidential vote by Nicholas Casey, The New York Times, February 7, 2018. Briefing: Background briefing on the Secretary's travel to Austin, Texas; Mexico City, Mexico; San Carlos Bariloche, Argentina; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Lima, Peru; Bogota, Colombia; and Kingston, Jamaica, Senior State Department Officials, U.S. Department of State, January 29, 2018. Article: Venezuela calls for early elections, and Maduro aims to retain control by Kirk Semple, The New York Times, January 23, 2018. Article: Tired of regional critics, Venezuela looks to Russia and China by Ernesto Londono, The New York Times, December 27, 2017. Article: Venezuela puts up roadblock for opposition in next presidential vote by Ana Vanessa Herrero, The New York Times, December 20, 2017. Article: As Venezuela opposition shuns vote, leader's party tightens grip on power by Kirk Semple, The New York Times, December 10, 2017. Article: Putin extends lifeline to cash-strapped Venezuela by Patrick Gillespie, CNN Business, November 15, 2017. Article: Venezuela's two legislatures duel, but only one has ammunition by Kirk Semple, The New York Times, November 3, 2017. Advisory: Reports from financial institutions are critical to stopping, deterring, and preventing the proceeds tied to suspected Venezuelan public corruption from moving through the U.S. financial system, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, September 20, 2017. Article: White House raises pressure on Venezuela with new financial sanctions by Clifford Krauss, The New York Times, August 25, 2017. Article: Venezuela's new, powerful assembly takes over legislature's duties by Nicholas Casey, The New York Times, August 18, 2017. Report: Vladimir's Venezuela - leveraging loans to Caracas, Moscow snaps up oil assets by Marianna Parraga and Alexandra Ulmer, Reuters, August 11, 2017. Article: Trump says military is 'locked and loaded' and North Korea will 'regret' threats by Peter Baker, The New York Times, August 11, 2017. Article: Venezuela's new assembly members share a goal: Stifle dissent by Nicholas Casey and Ana Vanessa Herrero, The New York Times, August 3, 2017. Article: Venezuela vote marred by violence, including candidate's death by Nicholas Casey, Patricia Torres, and Ana Vanessa Herrero, The New York Times, July 30, 2017. Article: Goldman buys $2.8 billion worth of Venezuelan bonds, and an uproar begins by Landon Thomas Jr., The New York Times, May 30, 2017. Article: Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela President, calls for a rewrite of the constitution by Nicholas Casey, The New York Times, May 1, 2017. Article: Venezuela says it will leave pro-democracy organization by Nicholas Casey, The New York Times, April 26, 2017. Article: Crisis-ridden Venezuela gave $500k to Trump inauguration by Patrick Gillespie and Flora Charner, CNN Money, April 20, 2017. Article: Venezuelan court revises ruling that nullified legislature by Nicholas Casey and Patricia Torres, The New York Times, April 1, 2017. Article: As criticism mounts, Venezuela asks high court revisit power grab by Nicholas Casey, The New York Times, March 31, 2017. Article: Venezuela muzzles legislature, moving closer to one-man rule by Nicholas Casey and Patricia Torres, The New York Times, March 30, 2017. Article: An actual American war criminal may become our second-ranking diplomat by Eric Alterman, The Nation, February 2, 2017. Article: What happened when Venezuela outlawed its own currency by Jeremy Ashkenas and Quoctrung Bui, The New York Times, December 30, 2016. Article: Venezuela: three opposition lawmakers resign in concession to Maduro, Reuters, November 15, 2016. Article: Venezuelan lawmakers vote to put President Nicolas Maduro on trial by Ana Vanessa Herrero and Elisabeth Malkin, The New York Times, October 25, 2016. Article: Venezuelan electoral panel halts effort to recall President Nicolas Maduro by Patricia Torres and Elisabeth Malkin, The New York Times, October 21 2016. Article: Venezuela's supreme court consolidates Nicolas Maduro's power by Elisabeth Malkin and Nicholas Casey, The New York Times, October 12, 2016. Article: O.A.S. issues rebuke to Venezuela citing threats to democracy by Nicholas Casey, The New York Times, May 31, 2016. Article: Venezuela panel clears the way for a process to oust Nicolas Maduro by Patricia Torres and Nicholas Casey, The New York Times, April 26, 2016. Article: Venezuela's court deals another blow to opposition lawmakers by Nicholas Casey, The New York Times, April 12, 2016. Article: In power struggle, Venezuela's high court declares parliament in contempt by Mery Mogollon and Chris Kraul, Los Angeles Times, January 11, 2016. Article: Venezuela: Court held lawmakers in contempt by Nicholas Casey, The New York Times, January 11, 2016. Article: Venezuela opposition takes reins of assembly as tensions rise by William Neuman and Nicholas Casey, The New York Times, January 5, 2016. Article: 9 opposition candidates barred from Venezuela's December ballot by William Neuman, The New York Times, August 23, 2015. Article: Venezuelan court rejects challenge to Presidential election results by William Neuman, The New York Times, August 7, 2013. Article: Kerry encourages Venezuela recount by William Neuman, The New York Times, April 17, 2013. Report: Study mission of the Carter Center in 2013 Presidential elections in Venezuela, The Carter Center, April 14, 2013. Article: Venezuela coup linked to Bush team by Ed Vulliamy, The Guardian, April 21, 2002. Article: Uprising in Venezuela: The government; Venezuela's chief forced to resign; civilian installed by Juan Forero, The New York Times, April 13, 2002. Article: 12 years of tortured truth on El Salvador by Guy Gugliotta and Douglas Farrah, The Washington Post, March 21, 1993. Article: Bush pardons Weinberger, 5 others in Iran-Contra;Act called cover-up by Robert Jackson and Ronald J. Ostrow, The Los Angeles Times, December 25, 1992. Article: Elliot Abrams admits his guild on 2 counts in Contra cover-up by David Johnston, The New York Times, October 8, 1991. Article: Aide says U.S. planes carried contra arms, Archives, The New York Times, August 15, 1987. Resources Bio: Elliot Abrams, Council on Foreign Affairs National Endowment for Democracy: Elliott Abrams, Council on Foreign Relations Community Suggestions See more Community Suggestions HERE. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

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Ten years ago, conflict broke out between Georgia and Russia over the break-away region of South Ossetia, with the first shells falling on the capital Tskhinvali on 7th August. Watching events unfold from the Georgian capital Tbilisi was Temur Kighuradze, now a journalist with BBC Russian, but then an ambitious young newspaper journalist. Image: a destroyed building in South Ossetia in August 2008 Credit: VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images

Assad recognizes Abkhazia and South Ossetia, NATO says nice Georgia stuff, Karasin says NATO is bad, world yawns, new Armenian PM rockstar in Tbilisi two days, Pres and PM in Krynica, Gakharia in Germany, Tbilisi rally about school stabbing, prosecutor … Continue reading →

География России Россия – одна из крупнейших стран в мире. Она занимает 1/9 часть суши и находится одновременно и в Европе, и в Азии. Россия граничит с Казахстаном, Китаем, Монголией, Украиной, Финляндией, Республикой Беларусь, Абхазией, Азербайджаном, Южной Осетией, Латвией, Польшей, Литвой, Эстонией, Норвегией и КНДР. Кроме того, Россия имеет морские границы с Японией и США.  Интересные факты: в России находится самое глубокое озеро в мире (Байкал), длиннейшая река в Европе (Волга) и главная вершина Европы – гора Эльбрус. В России около 2,5 миллионов рек и 2 миллионов озёр. Вообще, у нас невероятно красивая природа!   Translation Geography of Russia Russia is one of the largest countries in the world. It occupies 1/9 of the land area and is located both in Europe and in Asia. Russia borders with Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, Ukraine, Finland, the Republic of Belarus, Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, South Ossetia, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Norway, and North Korea. Moreover, Russia has maritime borders with Japan and the United States. Interesting facts: in Russia there is the deepest lake in the world (Baikal), the longest river in Europe (Volga) and the main peak of Europe - Mount Elbrus. In Russia there are about 2.5 million rivers and 2 million lakes. In general, we have  incredibly beautiful nature! Join my Membership program to receive more episodes and books – https://realrussianclub.com/membership Join my free email course – https://realrussianclub.com/subscribe  Support my podcast via PayPal – https://paypal.me/realrussianclub or become a patron –  https://www.patreon.com/realrussianclub

The Cataluña saga contines as Sr Puigdemont, former president of the Catalan Generalitat and the five former councilors who accompany him could ignore the possible citation of the courts and ask for political asylum, although it is not easy for them to achieve it within the European Union. A politician from South Ossetia known for his political affinities with Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Barcelona this week, with the goal of establishing ties between Kremlin circles and a hypothetical independent Catalonia, according to Spanish intelligence sources. Two Britons, believed to be about 25, were attacked in Majorca's capital Palma by a group of two men and three women in their 20s at 5am this morning. Police in Gran Canaria have arrested four Moroccans who took turns to rape and sexually abuse a tourist in an island holiday resort popular with British tourists. Both the cost of eggs in Spain and the cost of butter in France are cause for concern. Responding to the terrorist atrocity in Manhattan , Mrs May tweeted: 'Appalled by this cowardly attack, my thoughts are with all affected. Together we will defeat the evil of terrorism. UK stands with #NYC.' Two 14-year-old boys have been arrested on suspicion of plotting a 'Columbine-style' massacre at their school in Northallerton, a Yorkshire market town.....and The Home Office said 11 people were taken into custody in London, Birmingham and Gateshead on suspicion of assisting illegal immigration, while a further 15 were arrested in Belgium. Yesterday it emerged that Justice Secretary David Lidington had put forward plans to let inmates take part in elections – but only those on day release who are still on the electoral roll. British TV regulator Ofcom has received 390 complaints from distressed Coronation Street viewers over Friday night's episode which showed 'appalling' violence before 9pm. Plus more bad news for Corrie as the actor, who made his debut as Todd Grimshaw in 2001 and was the first openly gay character in the soap, had a claim made against him of inappropriate behaviour by a woman in Manchester. How cash-strapped are the police? Fenland Police in Cambridgeshire posted a images on Twitter showing a uniformed officer, jokingly named PC Frankenstein inside a police station dressed in a cartoon mask. More than 100 over 65s died because of dehydration or malnutrition in Britain last year, according to damning figures by the Office for National Statistics.

The Cataluña saga contines as Sr Puigdemont, former president of the Catalan Generalitat and the five former councilors who accompany him could ignore the possible citation of the courts and ask for political asylum, although it is not easy for them to achieve it within the European Union. A politician from South Ossetia known for his political affinities with Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Barcelona this week, with the goal of establishing ties between Kremlin circles and a hypothetical independent Catalonia, according to Spanish intelligence sources. Two Britons, believed to be about 25, were attacked in Majorca's capital Palma by a group of two men and three women in their 20s at 5am this morning. Police in Gran Canaria have arrested four Moroccans who took turns to rape and sexually abuse a tourist in an island holiday resort popular with British tourists. Both the cost of eggs in Spain and the cost of butter in France are cause for concern. Responding to the terrorist atrocity in Manhattan , Mrs May tweeted: 'Appalled by this cowardly attack, my thoughts are with all affected. Together we will defeat the evil of terrorism. UK stands with #NYC.' Two 14-year-old boys have been arrested on suspicion of plotting a 'Columbine-style' massacre at their school in Northallerton, a Yorkshire market town.....and The Home Office said 11 people were taken into custody in London, Birmingham and Gateshead on suspicion of assisting illegal immigration, while a further 15 were arrested in Belgium. Yesterday it emerged that Justice Secretary David Lidington had put forward plans to let inmates take part in elections – but only those on day release who are still on the electoral roll. British TV regulator Ofcom has received 390 complaints from distressed Coronation Street viewers over Friday night's episode which showed 'appalling' violence before 9pm. Plus more bad news for Corrie as the actor, who made his debut as Todd Grimshaw in 2001 and was the first openly gay character in the soap, had a claim made against him of inappropriate behaviour by a woman in Manchester. How cash-strapped are the police? Fenland Police in Cambridgeshire posted a images on Twitter showing a uniformed officer, jokingly named PC Frankenstein inside a police station dressed in a cartoon mask. More than 100 over 65s died because of dehydration or malnutrition in Britain last year, according to damning figures by the Office for National Statistics.

Hannah & Tom discuss the so-called "so-called" election and referendum in South Ossetia, April 2017. Uncovering intrigue, scandal, yoghurt and who the f*ck Alan is.

We know from the Bible that a belligerent Russia will invade the Middle East at “the time of the end”. Russia is seen to be preparing for this all over the world. New submarines are being built.  Military operations are on going. Allies are being brought into the fold such as Libya, Syria, Iran, South Ossetia. The Western nations are increasingly worried and are warning their military establishments and defence organizations to "wake up" - just as the Bible predicted.

We know from the Bible that a belligerent Russia will invade the Middle East at “the time of the end”. Russia is seen to be preparing for this all over the world. New submarines are being built.  Military operations are on going. Allies are being brought into the fold such as Libya, Syria, Iran, South Ossetia. The Western nations are increasingly worried and are warning their military establishments and defence organizations to "wake up" - just as the Bible predicted.

Georgia wants to join Nato. Its Defence Minister, Tinatin Khidasheli, has been touring European Union countries making the case for the former Soviet state to join the club of western nations who vow to defend each other's borders. But It was only a few months ago that Russia extended its control over South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which the United Nations still recognises as Georgian territory. Hardtalk's Sarah Montague asks whether Nato is prepared to face up to Russia over Georgia?(Photo: Georgian Defence Minister Tinatin Khidasheli. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

It’s been seven years since Russian and Georgian forces went to war. The reason? A breakaway region in the Georgian heartland known as South Ossetia. But in the years since, what has happened in the region and what bearing does this have on Georgia’s potential integration into NATO and the EU? NATO Channel visits the breakaway region and talks to local residents and experts about the developing situation on the ground.

It’s been seven years since Russian and Georgian forces went to war. The reason? A breakaway region in the Georgian heartland known as South Ossetia. But in the years since, what has happened in the region and what bearing does this have on Georgia’s potential integration into NATO and the EU? NATO Channel visits the breakaway region and talks to local residents and experts about the developing situation on the ground.

How much could we have seen the Crimea crisis coming? NATO Review talks to security experts and asks whether there were enough clues in Russia's previous adventures - especially in Estonia and Georgia - to indicate that Crimea would be next. 00.12 - Paul King – Editor, NATO Review – voice-over When Russia annexed Georgia’s regions of South-Ossetia and Abkhazia in 2008 some western politicians warned that Russia wasn’t finished yet. 00.21 – Linas Linkevičius – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lithuania We said it would be more at that time. No one listened. By the way, we mentioned Crimea. We mentioned Transnistria. So Crimea is gone. Transnistria maybe not, but who can exclude it? 00.34 – Alex Petriashvili – State Minister of Georgia on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration The Russians have learned lessons from 2008. Unfortunately, the Western countries less. 00.42 - Paul King – voice-over But many Western countries were anxious to keep the relationship with Russia stable 00.47 – Karel Kovanda – Former Czech Ambassador to NATO The reaction to the Georgian invasion, I think, was number 1: very weak, and number 2: rather surprising. 00.58 – Linas Linkevičius We told then, in 2008: Let’s be consistent. Let’s do what we decided. Let’s implement and let’s stick to this, you know, because we made very good statements at that time, very good demands, very clear. We can have a look. These documents are available. In meetings, communiqués… spending some time to draft. And in two months we’re back to business as normal. 01.20 - Paul King – voice-over Some feel the West’s reaction may have fostered more confidence in the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin. 01.28 – Karel Kovanda Calculations of a guy who has got his KGB history, who is a judo sportsman, in that sense makes use of the strength of the opponent by throwing him over, who has his history of dealing with the criminal gangs of Petersburg, and as somebody mentioned, a history of having been a hooligan in his youth. 01.50 – Konstantin von Eggert – Kommersant FM Radio, Editor in Chief Well, I think the general perception in Moscow was that the West is weak. I’m not trying to psychoanalyse Putin, but if we are talking about the general feeling in the political class, that’s pretty true. I actually would concur with that. You’re looking at the most un-Atlanticist, to put it mildly, American administration in decades. You are looking at a European Union, which is consumed by its own problems and which actually is not ready and not willing to engage in any kind of major, coordinated foreign policy action with players like Russia. So, it’s very conducive from the point of view of Mister Putin. 02.34 - Paul King – voice-over Regardless of the Russian leadership’s motivation, the Russian moves in Ukraine may have backfired in terms of what was intended and what has actually happened. 02.44 - Konstantin von Eggert If you look back to mid December, people in the Kremlin were thinking and actually were saying: Ukraine is in our pockets. Yes, the Crimea now is in Russia’s pockets, but as far as Ukraine is concerned, it’s far from being in Russia’s pockets. Actually, I think that Russia’s influence in Ukraine, especially in Kiev, has dwindled to nearly zero. And I suppose that this is the law of unintended consequences that Lilia Shevtsova, so eloquently usually speaks about. It is about creating narratives, which in the end have their own logic. Sometimes you can control them, sometimes you cannot. And I think that this does create funnily enough or tragically enough, depending on how you look at it, more instability in Russia, not only externally, but possibly domestically. 03.35 - Paul King – voice-over What is clear that what some have described as the mistakes of the approach of 2008, have not been repeated in 2014. And that at least is to be welcomed. 03.46 - Alex Petriashvili This time the reaction was there, is there and I hope very much that there will be a stronger reaction if it goes farther. 03.59 - Linas Linkevičius Non-action is provocative. No decision is provocative. This is a signal and this should be realised one day. It really should be learned. But sometimes we need many, many lessons. Many, many wake-up calls to be woken up, which is sad, but this is reality. NATO Review www.nato.int/review The opinions expressed in NATO Review do not necessarily reflect those of NATO or its member countries. This video contains footage from ITN. While this video may be reproduced and used in its entirety, ITN footage cannot be used as part of a new production.

In early August 2008, Russia invaded the Republic of Georgia from the North.  The Georgian government had expected a Black Sea landing and had deployed its army in the west.  Taken off guard, a special forces team was hastily assembled and dropped into the northern part of South Ossetia -a place formally part of Georgia but with many rebel groups wanting to break away.  Their mission was to destroy the Roki Tunnel, delaying the Russian army until the Georgians could redeploy.  Historically, they failed to destroy the tunnel and instead destroyed a bridge further south and ambushed the Russian armored column, delaying the Russians about a day, but it wasn't enough.  All were lost, but they destroyed a lot of Russian hardware. In this alternate history scenario, a group of Georgian special forces operators attempt to hold back the Russians as long as possible.

On August 8, 2008 many Americans learned that Russia had gone to war with a mysterious country called Georgia over an even stranger territory called South Ossetia. Both Georgia and South Ossetia were located not on the southeastern seaboard of the United States, but in a mountainous region south of Russia called the Caucasus. The war was short, a mere four days, but during that time it became an campaign issue between Barack Obama and John McCain, a moment made memorable when McCain declared “We are all Georgians now.” For the Cold Warriors of yesteryear the world was remade familiar: Russia was enemy no. 1 again, Mikheil Saakashvili’s was a victim of Russian imperialism, and the Cold War was back as if it had never left. Those familiar with the South Caucasus know that the region is allergic to Cold War binaries. Its ethnic, linguistic, and religious complexity defy even the best social scientific models. Persistent conflicts mark the region. Azerbaijan and Armenia are at odds over Nagorno-Karabakh. Georgia has had to contend with separatist movements in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, both Russian protectorates. Of course, we can’t forget that the region also hosts two important energy pipelines–the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline–making the South Caucasus a geopolitical focus of the United States, the EU, and Russia. The 2008 South Ossetian War might have brought the region to the attention of many, but its origins have deep roots in the intricacies of the region’s history. Luckily, to make sense of the South Caucasus’ complicated past and volatile present, we have Thomas de Waal‘s The Caucasus: An Introduction (Oxford UP, 2010). De Waal clearly and succinctly outlines the morass that is the South Caucasus by laying out the histories, relations, and issues that drive present day Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan and their place in the world. Whether as a refresher or an initiation, The Caucasus: An Introduction is an important primer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On August 8, 2008 many Americans learned that Russia had gone to war with a mysterious country called Georgia over an even stranger territory called South Ossetia. Both Georgia and South Ossetia were located not on the southeastern seaboard of the United States, but in a mountainous region south of Russia called the Caucasus. The war was short, a mere four days, but during that time it became an campaign issue between Barack Obama and John McCain, a moment made memorable when McCain declared “We are all Georgians now.” For the Cold Warriors of yesteryear the world was remade familiar: Russia was enemy no. 1 again, Mikheil Saakashvili's was a victim of Russian imperialism, and the Cold War was back as if it had never left. Those familiar with the South Caucasus know that the region is allergic to Cold War binaries. Its ethnic, linguistic, and religious complexity defy even the best social scientific models. Persistent conflicts mark the region. Azerbaijan and Armenia are at odds over Nagorno-Karabakh. Georgia has had to contend with separatist movements in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, both Russian protectorates. Of course, we can't forget that the region also hosts two important energy pipelines–the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline–making the South Caucasus a geopolitical focus of the United States, the EU, and Russia. The 2008 South Ossetian War might have brought the region to the attention of many, but its origins have deep roots in the intricacies of the region's history. Luckily, to make sense of the South Caucasus' complicated past and volatile present, we have Thomas de Waal‘s The Caucasus: An Introduction (Oxford UP, 2010). De Waal clearly and succinctly outlines the morass that is the South Caucasus by laying out the histories, relations, and issues that drive present day Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan and their place in the world. Whether as a refresher or an initiation, The Caucasus: An Introduction is an important primer.

On August 8, 2008 many Americans learned that Russia had gone to war with a mysterious country called Georgia over an even stranger territory called South Ossetia. Both Georgia and South Ossetia were located not on the southeastern seaboard of the United States, but in a mountainous region south of... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On August 8, 2008 many Americans learned that Russia had gone to war with a mysterious country called Georgia over an even stranger territory called South Ossetia. Both Georgia and South Ossetia were located not on the southeastern seaboard of the United States, but in a mountainous region south of Russia called the Caucasus. The war was short, a mere four days, but during that time it became an campaign issue between Barack Obama and John McCain, a moment made memorable when McCain declared “We are all Georgians now.” For the Cold Warriors of yesteryear the world was remade familiar: Russia was enemy no. 1 again, Mikheil Saakashvili’s was a victim of Russian imperialism, and the Cold War was back as if it had never left. Those familiar with the South Caucasus know that the region is allergic to Cold War binaries. Its ethnic, linguistic, and religious complexity defy even the best social scientific models. Persistent conflicts mark the region. Azerbaijan and Armenia are at odds over Nagorno-Karabakh. Georgia has had to contend with separatist movements in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, both Russian protectorates. Of course, we can’t forget that the region also hosts two important energy pipelines–the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline–making the South Caucasus a geopolitical focus of the United States, the EU, and Russia. The 2008 South Ossetian War might have brought the region to the attention of many, but its origins have deep roots in the intricacies of the region’s history. Luckily, to make sense of the South Caucasus’ complicated past and volatile present, we have Thomas de Waal‘s The Caucasus: An Introduction (Oxford UP, 2010). De Waal clearly and succinctly outlines the morass that is the South Caucasus by laying out the histories, relations, and issues that drive present day Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan and their place in the world. Whether as a refresher or an initiation, The Caucasus: An Introduction is an important primer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you train someone to love their country? Two years ago Russia and Georgia fought a brief war over the little known territory of South Ossetia. Russia sent its tanks deep into Georgian territory. In Georgia, the war led to an outbreak of patriotic fervour. In this week's Assignment, Tom Esslemont has been to visit a government-run “patriotic” summer camp - where young Georgians learn to develop a sense of national pride.

In this podcast Professor Stefan Wolff assesses the implications of the recent outbreak of fighting between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia. Professor Wolff is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Centre for International Crisis Management and Conflict Resolution at the School of Politics and International Relations at The University of Nottingham.

This OSI event examined cyberwarfare from technological, legal, and political perspectives, focusing on the cyberattacks on Estonia in 2007 and the cyber-dimensions of the conflicts in South Ossetia and Gaza. (Recorded: January 21, 2009)

The Open Society Fellowship program presented a discussion with fellow Evgeny Morozov on citizen journalism in recent crises in South Ossetia, Mumbai, and Kenya. (Recorded: December 10, 2008)

In the fall of 2008, Russia sent troops into separatist South Ossetia to repel a Georgian attack. Marshall Goldman (Economics), Phil Kohl (anthropology), Nina Tumarkin (History), Ivan Arreguin-Toft (Political Science) & moderator Tom Hodge discuss this conflict.

The conflict between Russia and Georgia gives us some idea of things to come. It shows, more than conflicts in Eastern Europe, the extra costs of the Iraqi Imperial adventure. For America, though it would dearly love to intervene, hasn't the troops nor the material to engage the Russians on Georgia's behalf. Instead, it is relegated to the sidelines while French President Nicolas Sarkozy mediates a cease fire between the two sides, while the US issues press releases. The US media has, once again, echoed the administration line, which points Russians as the side which provoked the conflict. But most media can only do so if it ignores news reports from early August, which stated that Georgian troops attacked rebel fighters in South Ossetia, an impoverished mountainous region which won independence from Georgia after a bloody war in the early '90's. The Russian incursion also shows that the country, now flush with cash, is a far cry from the debtor nation of a decade ago. This was a demonstration as much to Georgia as it was to the world, of a new Russia, aggressive, armed and willing to enter its former territories of the Soviet era. Russian aggressiveness was made possible in part by its recent oil wealth. As a major oil power, it has profited from the rise in prices since the Iraq invasion, which sent prices soaring worldwide. The actions of one state influences the fate and actions of other states. And where was US outrage at military attacks on neighbors when Israel bombed Lebanon from coast to coast? When the Arab League begged the US to mediate peace between the two warring sides, America's Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, said what people in Lebanon were seeing weren't bombs, death and destruction, but "the birth pangs of democracy." But that was then -- this is now. Russia saw an opportunity, provided a justification; and seized it. Sound familiar? [Source: Schwirtz, Michael, "6 Die as Georgia Battles Rebel Group," Sun. New York Times, 8/3/08, p.12.] (c) 8/13/08 Mumia Abu-Jamal