Myanmar uses the yuan to pay for supplies of Russian petroleum products, Minister of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations of Myanmar Kan Zaw told Sputnik, adding that the parties are preparing an agreement on the mutual conversion of national currencies. | 💬 "We are using yuan and not [paying] with rubles at this moment. But we are trying to make the kyat-ruble agreement [on the mutual conversion] … [the agreement] is going [to be signed] very soon," Kan Zaw said on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok. In addition, Kan Zaw expressed hope that Myanmar would conclude an agreement with Russia on tourism on the sidelines of the EEF. ● Last September, Prime Minister of Myanmar Min Aung Hlaing told Sputnik that the country had begun purchasing Russian petroleum products. Myanmar will begin accepting cards of the Russian Mir payment system in October, Kan Zaw said. The 8th EEF is taking place on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in the Russian city of Vladivostok from September 10-13. RIA Novosti is the official media partner of the forum.

■ Yuan Bounces Back From 16-Year Low After People's Bank of China Steps In (Sputnik News)
■ Moscow boosts ruble settlements with NATO country (RT.com)

Leaders and representatives of the world’s 20 largest economies met in New Delhi Saturday, reaching a compromise on a joint declaration on global priorities by leaving out Western-proposed criticism of Russia over its military operation in Ukraine. Sputnik spoke to experts to get a sense of what the declaration's "consensus language" really means. | Day one of the two-day G20 summit in New Delhi, India wrapped up on Saturday, with the intergovernmental forum’s members reaching a consensus on economic development, climate change, and pledging to work together toward peace, security and conflict resolution. ● A Russian official told journalists that “very complex” talks took place on formulating the consensus-based joint statement, with the BRICS bloc and its partners “refusing to accept Western narratives” on the crisis in Ukraine. ● The text of the 83-point statement refrained from condemning Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, instead underscoring the need for “all states” to “act in a manner consistent with” the UN Charter, and highlighting the negative global economic and security impact of the ongoing crisis. The text of the document called for a resumption of the Black Sea Grain Deal, but also measures to ensure the “immediate and unimpeded deliveries of grain, foodstuffs, and fertilizers/inputs from” from both Russia and Ukraine, including “to meet the demand in developing and least developed countries, particularly those in Africa.”

■ What’s in the G20 leaders’ declaration? (RT.com)

Berlin cites sanctions in order to justify the confiscation of vehicles owned by ordinary people | The Russian Embassy in Berlin has warned its citizens against bringing their cars into Germany, citing the instances of confiscation of vehicles with Russian license plates.💬 “We continue to note that German customs authorities are occasionally seizing private vehicles that were registered as property of Russian nationals and temporarily imported into Germany for personal use or transit purposes,” the embassy wrote in a statement on Telegram on Monday. It added that Moscow had repeatedly lodged protests over the measure, but to no avail. “Until the situation is clarified, Russian nationals are strongly advised against importing vehicles with Russian license plates into Germany,” the embassy wrote.

Igor Kolomoisky was detained for two months on charges of fraud, with bail set at $13.5 million | Ukrainian oligarch Igor Kolomoisky, whose support is widely believed to have helped Vladimir Zelensky secure the country’s presidency, was detained pending trial for alleged money laundering. ● Kolomoisky was brought to Kiev’s Shevchenko district court on Saturday, after the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) accused the billionaire of legalizing and transferring abroad more than 500 million Ukrainian hryvnia ($13.5 million) through the “infrastructure of banking institutions controlled by him.” ● The pretrial detention hearing was held behind closed doors, as requested by Kolomoisky, who reportedly did not want the media to share photos of him in the courtroom. Several Ukrainian media outlets still captured photos and videos from the proceeding.

Hungary has vetoed the European Union's intent to give more money to Ukraine until such time as Ukraine accounts for the 50-70 Billion EUROS already given! | Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said today "Of course, I won't give in to pressure. Until we get a detailed, clear account of what the approximately 50-70 billion EUROS spent on Ukraine, was spent on, and until the OTP Bank is removed from the list of so-called International Sponsors of the War, there can be no question of making a decision about additional funds to finance armaments, or anything related to Ukraine."

■ Hungary vetoes EU aid for Ukraine, bloc delays decision on funds for Budapest (Reuters)

Germany is expected to fall far short of its ambitious “climate change” goals and will fail to comply with the globalist green agenda, according to reports. | Reuters is reporting that the German government is failing to meet the climate goals despite having spent more than $500 billion to reach them. Unfortunately for the taxpaying German public, the country isn’t even close to complying with the green agenda targets, even after the epic spending. Germany had pledged to meet targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65 percent before 2030. The country also vowed to reach “Net Zero” carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. By 2025, the German government will have spent the equivalent of at least $580 billion toward achieving the goals that it is now forecasted to miss, according to Bloomberg.

In July, reports surfaced that India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed an agreement that allowed the BRICS member (India) to use rupees instead of the US dollar when trading with the Middle Eastern nation. Last week, the first sale took place. | Energy company Indian Oil made payments in rupees for purchasing one million barrels of oil from the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. ● India is not the only BRICS nation to purchase energy from the UAE without going through the US dollar. In March, the oil and gas company China National Offshore Oil Corporation reportedly paid in yuan to import 65,000 tons of liquified natural gas from the UAE. ● Meanwhile, in May, China revealed that it signed $582.3 billion worth of global currency settlement agreements that will exclusively use the yuan. The UAE is one of the countries that inked the deal with the Asian giant along with Russia, Venezuela, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The recent moves of China and India underscore BRICS’ global effort to abandon the US dollar.

■ The Western propaganda machine claims BRICS is a ‘challenge to NATO’ and a ‘mortal threat’ – is this true?

Bigger BRICS family serves as powerful response to West-led hegemony, advocates for fair, multi-polar world | The BRICS countries welcomed six new members from three different continents on Thursday, marking a historic milestone that underscored the solidarity of BRICS and developing countries and determination to work together for a better future, officials and experts said. The expansion of the BRICS, as a new starting point for multilateral cooperation, will play a positive role for more equitable and just global governance, experts said. ● The BRICS countries have decided to invite six countries - Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - to become new members of the grouping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday. It will be the first expansion since 2010 and the new candidates will be admitted as members on January 1, 2024, according to media reports.

■ Western countries not welcome at BRICS – Moscow (RT.com)
■ Johannesburg BRICS declaration (FULL TEXT) (RT.com)

The BW Lesmes tanker carrying liquefied natural gas has collided with the Burri oil products tanker in the Suez Canal, the Marine Traffic tracking service said on Tuesday, citing an eye-witness. 💬 "MarineTraffic has received eye-witness report from the #SuezCanal that 2 tankers have collided. The reported incident involves the Burri, a Cayman island tanker, and the BW Lesmes, a Singapore flagged LNG tanker," the service said on X, formerly known as Twitter. ● The tracking service has also posted a video showing towing operations monitoring data, which revealed that Burri has already been towed away from BW Lesmes after the collision. As of 5:43 Moscow time (02:43 GMT), the vessels were located next to each other in the southern part of the Suez Canal.

Tyler Durden | Dependency On The State Is The Core Of The Takeover Plot Of Humanity | Most of you have entered the final stage of your voluntary acceptance of mass slavery, and that slavery is fully dependent on the concept of fear, compliance to a false ‘authority,’ and total dependence on the very tyrant called government, whose plan is to control the world by controlling the common, ignorant, and apathetic collective crowd called ‘the people.’ The most vital component of this ‘Great Reset’ agenda, is for the majority to be dependent on the State, and that phenomenon is now close at hand. The final foundation of all restriction, control of financial and monetary transactions, and control of movement, will hinge on the farcical fraud called manmade ‘climate change.’ The speed of this agenda has accelerated far past earlier time projections. Once mass dependence is in place, there will no longer be any chance of a free society. Believe nothing, trust no State representative at any level, trust no mainstream media, and question everything!

In March 2021, nearly every country in the world had more billionaires than they did at the outset of the pandemic in mid-March 2020. Amongst these new billionaires were 40 people who became new billionaires practically overnight solely from covid. At the same time that these billionaires were getting richer, hundreds of millions were getting poorer and hundreds of millions more were driven to extreme poverty. | In February 2021, the World Economic Forum reported that according to the International Labour Organisation, 114 million jobs were lost in 2020 and others saw their working hours reduced due to covid restrictions. “The ongoing crisis has disrupted labour markets around the world at an unprecedented scale.” Since the covid pandemic began, Oxfam reported, vulnerable communities around the world have been sending a clear, urgent and repeated message: “Hunger may kill us before coronavirus.” Oxfam noted it was the greatest rise in inequality.

Green power unlikely to generate enough energy to run the country without radical reform, says Business Select Committee | Britain will struggle to keep the lights on using only net zero electricity as the roll-out of green energy lags far behind target, MPs have warned. ● Falling investor confidence and bureaucratic delays mean Britain’s efforts to produce entirely clean electricity are at risk of stalling, MPs on the cross-party Business Select Committee said. They are calling on the government to come up with a “coherent, overarching plan” to boost green supplies — or risk missing climate targets. ● Demand for electricity is expected to soar as households buy electric cars and heat pumps. Darren Jones, the Labour MP who chairs the committee, said: 💬 “Ministers think that publishing strategies and releasing social media videos will deliver the energy infrastructure the country needs. “Its failed before and it keeps failing. Without a coherent, overarching delivery plan, the Government risks undermining the UK’s ability to generate, store and distribute the fossil fuel free electricity the country needs to hit net zero.”

Similar headlines or sentiments will be found in pretty much any other 'western' magazine that still has some integrity. The catastrophic consequences of sanctioning Russia without any realistic assessment of its, and one's own economies should have led to a serious clean-up of all state and international bureaucracies involved in it. Alas, we have yet to see that anyone who was involved has been punished for these horrendous mistakes. The very same people are now involved in finding 'solutions' for the mess their shortsightedness created. It is no wonder then that people will vote for anyone other than those in charge. (© Image)

TASS has summarized the president's main statements. | The Ukrainian armed forces have been stopped and pushed back in all directions, they have withdrawn their assault units due to heavy losses, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters. On Saturday evening, the head of state answered questions from half a dozen journalists, many of whom asked more than one question. The conversation lasted an hour in total. In particular, Putin talked about Russia's relations with Africa, the country’s reluctance to directly confront the US in Syria and strengthening the defense of the Crimean Bridge.

■ Putin's Address to Reporters Following the Second Russia-Africa Summit (Sputnik Globe)
■ Владимир Путин ответил на вопросы журналистов по итогам саммита Россия - Африка + (Bидео)

Evariste Ndayishimiye noted that African states should also "contribute to the development of all humanity" 💬 I would never call Africa poor, this is a common delusion. On the contrary, it is a very rich continent, he said. ● Ndayishimiye pointed out that since 2020, Burundi has entered the international and regional arena. The country's role in Africa has increased, and "the African Union has strengthened regional mechanisms to find development solutions." "Recently, the African Continental Free Trade Area was established. We also appreciate the role of sub-regional organizations in the region," he added. ● The president noted that African states should also "contribute to the development of all humanity." He also stressed that regional organizations will continue to develop "as long as African countries are present in them." "For example, the East African Community (EAC) is in the process of becoming a political federation," Ndayishimiye pointed out.

■ Putin: Africa Becoming Center of Power, This Reality Will Have to Be Considered (Sputnik News)

The Kremlin press service said earlier that the two leaders would discuss "pressing issues related to the further development of Russian-Belarusian relations of strategic partnership and alliance, as well as integration within the Union State" | The Kremlin press service said earlier that the two leaders would discuss 💬 "pressing issues related to the further development of Russian-Belarusian relations of strategic partnership and alliance, as well as integration within the Union State." ● Putin has repeatedly highlighted special relations between Russia and Belarus. He pointed out that Minsk was Moscow’s "strategic partner and closest ally." ● The two countries are working on 28 Union State programs, particularly aimed at harmonizing their macroeconomic policies and integrating payment systems. The parties also agreed to create single gas, oil and energy markets. ● The leaders have recently discussed the development of economic relations, the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus and the international situation.

■ Putin warns of Poland’s intentions in Ukraine and Belarus (07/21/23)

US companies are hesitant to unload the oil over concerns of retaliation from Iran in the Persian Gulf | US federal prosecutors are struggling to sell off a shipment of stolen Iranian oil being carried by a Greek tanker off the coast of Texas, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. ● The US Justice Department seized the Greek tanker Suez Rajan in April under the pretext of sanctions enforcement and forced the ship to head for Texas instead of China. The Suez Rajan is carrying 800,000 barrels of stolen oil and is currently off the coast of Galveston. ● According to the Journal, the US can’t sell the oil because the companies that would unload the oil are worried about Iranian retaliation in the Persian Gulf. “Companies with any exposure whatsoever in the Persian Gulf are literally afraid to do it,” a Houston-based energy executive involved in the matter told the paper. ● The US has a history of seizing tankers and stealing Iranian cargo. In 2021, the Biden administration sold off two million barrels of Iranian oil taken from a tanker that was seized off the coast of the UAE. During the Trump administration, the US seized ships carrying Iranian gas bound for Venezuela and discharged some of the cargo in New York.

Efforts by countries to replace the US dollar in international trade will reach a new high when BRICS nations discuss the feasibility of introducing a common currency at a summit in South Africa later this year, Chinese experts said, noting that the move can be a fresh blow against the dollar's hegemony. | The BRICS group of nations will discuss the issue, which is likely be on the agenda of a meeting of the nations' heads of state in Johannesburg on August 22, Bloomberg reported recently, citing the foreign minister of South Africa. ● The BRICS group of nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - accounts for one-third of global economic output, and their combined output is larger than the Group of Seven economies by some measures. ● Experts said the desire for a currency that offers better accessibility and fairer treatment in international trade is the main objective for BRICS nations. They pointed out that the US dollar, used as a tool for the US to exercise international hegemony, has caused great uncertainty for the recovery of the world economy.

■ Thoughts on the BRICs Currency (Sasha Latypova)

William Van Wagenen | The Taliban has not once, but twice eradicated Afghanistan's poppy cultivation, the world's largest source of heroin. Despite western accusations, it has never been The Taliban behind the Afghan drug industry, but only ever the US and its allies, with billions in profits breezily laundered through the global financial system. | In the aftermath of the chaotic US and UK withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir warned in the Washington Post of the dangers of “ignoring one important consequence of the Taliban takeover: the coming boom in Afghanistan’s narcotics trade.” Mir then boldly predicted that, “in the next few years, a flood of drugs from Afghanistan may become a bigger threat than terrorism.” This projection of an international drug trade boom seemed plausible, considering the longstanding accusations that the Taliban funded their two-decade insurgency against the occupying forces by controlling opium production. In fact, it was believed that 95 percent of heroin used in Britain originated from Afghan opium. ● [W]estern displeasure towards the Taliban's efforts to dismantle the global heroin trade may seem perplexing at first glance. However, a closer examination of events in Afghanistan reveals a different perspective. Under the guise of the “War on Terror,” the 2001 US and UK invasion was driven in part by the desire to restore the heroin trade, which the Taliban had abruptly terminated just a year earlier. The western powers sought to reestablish the lucrative flow of billions of dollars that the heroin trade provided to their financial systems. In fact, “For 20 years, America essentially ran a narco-state in Afghanistan.”

■ Opium poppy harvest in Afghanistan at record high in 2014
■ Record levels of Heroin enters world market from Afghanistan
■ NATO helping boost Afghan heroin production: Russia
■ Over 20 Tons of [CIA's] Heroin Seized in Afghanistan
■ Connecting the Dots: Afghan Heroin, NATO, Azerbaijan Hub & Cargo Business
■ Afghan drugs: Opium price rises by 133%
■ Afghan opium poppy cultivation jumps

Hundreds of billions of dollars in Russian assets were trapped abroad in 2022 after the Ukrainian crisis escalated into a full-blown NATO-Russia proxy war. Earlier this year, reports in US business media indicated that the US and its allies were having trouble locating a substantial chunk of these funds. | Belgium plans to collect 3 billion euros a year in windfall profits from Russian assets frozen in the country’s coffers to give to Ukraine for “reconstruction” purposes, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced Friday. A day earlier, De Croo explained that Belgium was “very involved” in the issue because upwards of 90 percent of the Russian assets frozen in the EU’s jurisdiction are trapped in Belgian banks. The European Commission estimated in May that the bloc has frozen over 200 billion euros in assets belonging to Russia’s Central Bank, plus 24.1 billion owned by Russian companies, tycoons and other individuals. ● ‘Robbery’ in Broad Daylight | Asked to comment on Brussels’ plans, Christopher C Black, an international criminal and human rights lawyer with over 20 years’ experience under his belt, said that if realized, they would constitute “theft twice over” - first by seizing the money in the first place, and then preventing Russia from collecting its due interest. 💬 “The crime of theft becomes compounded with insult by giving the money to Kiev to finance the war against Russia, and if the money is so transferred by EU government order, it will be [an] act of war – since a nation supplying financial support to another nation to carry on a war can be considered under international law as a party to the war,” Black explained.

UKRAINE - BlackRock & JP Morgan set up a brand new ‘Reconstruction bank’.

As the British tax payer guarantees another £3 billion for reconstruction in Ukraine, the rest of the country is being carved up by the real winners!

In the spoils of war the banker always wins 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3L5jIIwEgh

— Bernie's Tweets (@BernieSpofforth) June 21, 2023

Zelensky announces alliance with BlackRock for reconstruction of Ukraine (December 28, 2022)

Maria Zakharova (Мария Захарова)(Russian MFA) | Zelensky: "Held a meeting on the spiritual independence of Ukraine - we continue the corresponding work, and there will be new steps." | How revealing these words are! In fact, this was the true task of the Kiev regime in power - to destroy the spiritual (not only cultural, historical, economic, humanitarian, etc.), it is the spiritual connection between us. To impose values alien to the people of Ukraine under the guise of everything "progressive." As they say, thank you for finally [stating it so clearly]. But Satanism always manifests itself, no matter how much it is hidden under the guise of beneficence. By the fruit, by the fruit. And the fruit of the American plant "Zelensky, Species Indeterminata" is poisonous.

Maria Zakharova (Мария Захарова)(Russian MFA) | The EU has expanded its ban on exports of luxury cars to Russia, as well as all electric and hybrid cars, including used ones. I wonder how this fits in with their own message of "strategic defeat of Russia and containment of China"? Other than the inevitable growth of the domestic auto industry, including the use of Chinese parts, it can not lead to anything. We liked the experiment with cheese. Now we need a good car industry.

■ Russian Economy Under Sanctions (Sputnik News)

Several studies have revealed the presence of metals ranging from copper and zinc to rare earths on the shelf, promising a lucrative business for the Norwegian government. However, critics say it runs contrary to the country's environmental commitment and may ruin its "green" image abroad. | Norway's Labor-led government has proposed opening the country's waters to deep-sea mining despite fierce opposition from environmental campaigners, political parties and even fellow European countries. ● The small country with 5.4 million inhabitants was propelled to immense wealth by its vast oil and gas reserves, which helped fill its Petroleum Fund which at more than $1 trillion ranks as the world's largest sovereign fund. Its position in Europe was cemented further after the EU's recent sanctions campaign against Russian energy, which effectively robbed the continent of a major provider, while clearing a lion's share of the market. Norway even came even under fire when it was suspected of profiteering from the energy crisis that gripped Europe. ● Now, Oslo seeks to shift from a reliance on hydrocarbons to new sources of economic activity, tapping into the high demand to transition from fossil fuels. According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, there are large mineral resources on the Norwegian continental shelf, including several million tonnes of copper, zinc and cobalt, which could potentially mean large revenues for Norway.

■ Norway Opens Door for Deep-Sea Mining of Copper and Other Critical Materials (Wall Street Journal)

The US and the UK strong-arm their own followers, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has claimed | London and Washington run the show in the “rules-based world order,” trying to dictate policy to their own allies as well as countries outside the West, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told RT on Friday. Russia fully understands that building relations with other countries needs to be based on mutual benefits and equal partnerships, Lavrov said in an interview with RT at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
💬 “This is not what we see in the West these days. The Anglo-Saxons are basically running the show, controlling the rest of the collective West. They are using the current situation, which they created through Ukraine – this war against Russia – to remove competition,” Lavrov elaborated. “They see us as a competitor, they see China as a competitor. Their doctrinal documents clearly state that. But they are also removing their competition in continental Europe. It’s obvious. The economic and social processes in Germany are grim. Other countries are not much better off,” the Russian foreign minister added. The only Western state benefiting from the current situation is the US, Lavrov claimed, “and the UK is always somewhere around, helping America reach its selfish goals.”

■ Germany has no more money for EU – finance minister (RT.com) | Lindner explained that the EU has maxed out its long-term budget through 2027, largely as a result of the bloc’s lavish aid packages to Ukraine. According to the latest figures from Brussels, the EU has given Kiev €72 billion ($79 billion) in economic, military, and humanitarian aid since Russia’s military operation in Ukraine began last February. Despite this unprecedented outflow draining its coffers, the European Commission is reportedly readying an additional €72 billion financial aid package to keep the Ukrainian economy limping along to 2027. According to Lindner, the commission will release a report next week asking member states for more money to cover the bill.