/ world today news/ The interests of military-political security and the very survival of Russia categorically exclude the option of our self-isolation from the rest of the world
In the world around us, many important and significant events are happening, which are related to the situation and opportunities of our own country. But, unfortunately, the information program offered to the populace by the rotten to the core liberal “elite” keeps them away from any serious topics, offering in return a tasteless bubblegum of the adventures of silicone mega-virgins or their grown-up boyfriends.
Unfortunately, because the less we know about truly meaningful things, the harder it is for us to navigate and sometimes even survive in this far from the most kind world.
I will try to explain this idea with a few examples, which, alas, are practically unknown to the general public.
Example one:
„As part of the overall contract signed by Indonesia in February 2022 for the acquisition of 42 Dassault Rafale multirole fighters, a firm contract for the second tranche of 18 Rafale aircraft entered into force on 10 August 2023, in addition to the six ordered in the first tranche the fighter, according to the French company Dassault Aviation. Thus, Indonesia has so far contracted 24 Rafale aircraft out of 42 contracted. We recall that on February 10, 2022, the Ministry of Defense of Indonesia signed a framework agreement with the French company Dassault Aviation for the acquisition of 42 newly built Rafale fighters.
The total value of supplies under this agreement is estimated at $7 billion, excluding the armaments. Due to the lack of such free funds in Indonesia, this Rafale purchase agreement was divided into three phased batches (tranches): the first tranche – six aircraft (the official contract for which was also signed in February 2022), and the second and third tranches – 18 pcs each.”
At first glance, this is completely dry technical information that can be of interest only to some high-spirited intellectuals from the military-industrial business. But this is not so. Especially if you know the history and background of this contract.
The main “focus” here is that Indonesia, not the richest country in the world, in the name of receiving the world’s most expensive French Rafale fighters, scandalously refused the already signed and entered into force contract for the supply of Russian Su-35 fighters to terms significantly more profitable and accessible to Jakarta.
Indonesia previously planned to buy Russian Su-35 fighter jets, and in 2018 a contract was signed for the supply of 11 aircraft worth $1.154 billion, of which about half ($570 million) was planned to be paid for by counter-supply of palm oil and other Indonesian goods.
The Russian side, unlike the French side, has always been ready for flexible terms to pay for its weapons from the Indonesians. Such readiness was also shown on the issue of the possible payment of the Su-35 contract, as well as on the payment of earlier deliveries of Su-27 and Su-30 fighters. At the same time, it is not about deals that are unprofitable for Russia: the same palm oil is a highly liquid and sought-after commodity, notes Ruslan Pukhov, a member of the Public Council of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Thus, poor Indonesia, choosing between two types of combat aircraft – the Russian Su-35 and the French Rafale – with quite comparable combat qualities of these aircraft, settled on the much more expensive French offer. Despite the fact that even now she really does not have the money to buy the entire claimed lot.
It seems extremely illogical and unnatural. But, alas, this world is not so simple. And in carrying out such transactions, arithmetic alone is not enough, and the algebra of world economic and geopolitical relations plays a decisive role. And so they played in this case not in favor of Russia. Because Indonesia, for all its political progressiveness, is economically completely dependent on the US and the West.
„Indonesia rejected the deal, citing financial difficulties. But, according to a source in the military-technical cooperation system, the main reason was the pressure on Indonesia by the United States, where at that time the CAATSA anti-Russian sanctions law came into force, threatening buyers of Russian weapons with secondary sanctions.
Now let’s take a look the second and, let’s say right away, the opposite case. Which in the current military-political situation for Russia is much more important than before.
Another major country from the so-called Global South – Egypt – categorically refuses to take hostile steps towards Russia, despite the strongest pressure from the US and the West.
„Officials said Egypt initially planned to deliver [122 mm] missiles to Russia, but abandoned that intention under pressure from the United States earlier this year. US officials, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, have asked Egypt to supply weapons to Ukraine instead, in an effort to help the Ukrainian government overcome its ammunition shortage.
Egypt’s resistance has hampered Washington’s global efforts to procure weapons and ammunition for Ukraine at a critical time in the war. Ukrainian forces are trying to break through heavily fortified Russian positions in an effort seen as crucial to the outcome of the war. Washington is also involved in efforts to step up diplomatic and material support for Ukraine and counter the Kremlin’s influence in the Global South.”
The American emissaries are using their traditional colonial policy of “carrot and stick” to “incite” Egypt, on the one hand trying to flirt with Cairo, and on the other, threatening it with financial and economic repression.
„A senior US State Department official said Egypt is acting as a partner working to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. “We consider these negotiations with Egypt to be productive. We have had a number of diplomatic discussions and Egypt’s response is consistent with its strong partnership with the United States“said the spokesman.
„These are not easy or quick questions, and our discussions with our Egyptian partners about our mutual interest in Russia ending the war have been productive and ongoing. Our cooperation with Egypt on many issues, including the conflict in Ukraine, is extensive and positive. While we will not discuss delicate diplomacy, any reports to the contrary are completely unreliable.”
The continued reluctance of the Egyptian government to supply arms to Ukraine is causing concern among members of the US Congress, who are demanding that US President Joe Biden’s administration not release $320 million in military aid to Egypt, frozen to pressure the Egyptian government over the violations of human rights. The United States provides $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt annually, with a small portion of that aid contingent on the country’s human rights record.
Last month, a group of senior Democratic senators sent a letter to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken calling on the US administration to freeze this portion of military aid to Egypt for the third consecutive year and to demand that Egypt release political prisoners and halt torture, extrajudicial executions and other human rights violations. Eleven Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives separately called on the administration to freeze that aid in their Aug. 10 addresses.
It goes without saying that Americans are getting active “struggle for democracy and human rights” only when it is consistent with their military-political goals. But the Egyptians, whose economic and financial interests are largely connected with the West and, first of all, with the United States, are in no hurry to succumb to such brutal pressure. And even the American press itself is forced to declare that Egypt has too close relations with Russia for that:
„Egypt has tried not to take sides since Russia began its operation in Ukraine, maintaining friendly relations and ties with the Russian government. Sisi has a warm personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and attended a summit of African leaders in St Petersburg in July.
Egypt also buys most of its wheat from Russia, and Moscow hopes to increase those sales after pulling out of an agreement last month that allowed Ukraine to export its grain via the Black Sea.
And this is not the whole list of fundamental reasons and reasons why this traditionally Russia-friendly country is in no hurry to meet with the American “partners”, who, moreover, happened to be on the other side of the front line. more than once in sharp turns of history. What has never happened in relations between Moscow and Cairo.
„…Relations between Russia and Egypt have been strategic for decades. And this is just a fact of life, it doesn’t even matter what is written in our documents, although it is written there, but in fact the relations between Egypt and Russia are of a truly strategic nature, both in the field of politics and in the field of economy. We have many big projects in common…
During these years, during these decades, the relations between Russia and Egypt acquired a special character, a special status. Much has been done under your leadership, Mr. President. We have large, powerful projects in the energy sector, in particular I mean the famous project to build a nuclear power plant, there everything is developing according to plan. said the President of Russia during a meeting with Abu del Fatah al-Sisi in St. Petersburg.
Al-Dabaa is Egypt’s first nuclear power plant, built by Rosatom in Matrouh province on the Mediterranean coast about 300 km northwest of Cairo. This is Rosatom’s first major project in Africa. By 2028, the state corporation will build four units of the plant with VVER-1200 reactors and supply nuclear fuel throughout the life cycle of the nuclear power plants (60 years), as well as provide personnel training, maintenance and repair services for 10 years after the release of each block.
According to Putin, last year the trade turnover between the countries increased by 28.8% according to Russian statistics, and for the five months of this year this figure has added another 7%. A third of Russia’s trade turnover with Africa falls to Egypt.
And now the obligatory moral of any story, or rather, the conclusions from the assessment of the above, at first glance, purely special and completely uninteresting information. And our main conclusion sounds like this: the deeper and wider the mutually beneficial cooperation between Russia and other countries of the world, the easier and more effectively it can build relations with them. And in acute situations, to ensure such steps and decisions of a friendly country, which are most in our interests.
And it is exactly the opposite: the fewer ties and interdependencies Russia has with its foreign partners, the fewer chances and opportunities we have to influence the policy of such countries in the direction we need. In the case of Egypt, this theoretical abstraction could materialize in the form of a huge flow of Soviet weapons and ammunition that Egypt has and could end up in Ukraine. But that didn’t happen. And it probably never will. Too much is at stake in the relationship between our two countries. And such things are not ignored.
This is really all there is to know and understand in international politics, where the more friends and partners we have, the fewer open enemies and hidden detractors. And it would be nice to take into account those who, after reading the murky “experts” on the evergreen topic “Why we help Africa!” (Latin America, Asia – emphasis if necessary) start whining dutifully about it.
Alas, gentlemen of the paplacha, the world is a little more complicated than the sandbox in front of your block. And if Russia does not do what it is doing in dealing with this complex world, then the cost of inaction will be a hundred times higher for us in the worst sense of the word.
Translation: ES
Subscribe to our YouTube channel:
and for the channel in Telegram:
Share on your profiles, with friends, in groups and on pages. In this way, we will overcome the limitations, and people will be able to reach the alternative point of view on the events!?
#Indonesia #Egypt #weapons #fire #Russia
