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On the eve of the Victory Day in World War II, events around the world have already begun to celebrate the next anniversary.

So, about fifty immigrants from the countries of the former Soviet Union living in New York marched through Manhattan and Brooklyn with photographs of their relatives, who were front-line soldiers. They laid flowers at the Brooklyn War Memorial. The action was organized by volunteers who regularly visit veterans.
In all cities of Israel, festive events were held with the participation of veterans, representatives of youth movements and local authorities. The “Immortal Regiment” took place “live” in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Bat Yam, Petah Tikva, Beer Sheva, Dimona. Their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren walked along with the front-line soldiers. Songs of the war years sounded in the streets. For the first time, a unit of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) of the Northern Military District took part in the march. Former blockade repatriates gathered in the Jerusalem memorial complex “Yad Vashem”, in other regions of the Jewish state the participants of the Second World War also met and laid flowers at the monuments. In Netanya, the mayor of the city Miriam Fayrberg joined the commemorative action.

In Germany, as such, the Immortal Regiment procession was not due to quarantine restrictions, but many Berliners came with portraits of their ancestors to Soviet war memorials in Pankow, Tiergarten and especially in Treptower Park, where real folk festivities took place. Among those who, together with Russian diplomats, came to pay tribute to the winners and to lay wreaths and flowers at their graves, there were also Germans. Among them are members of some political parties, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany Miguel Berger, director of the Brandenburg Memorials Foundation Axel Drekoll, head of the German People’s Union for the Care of War Burials Wolfgang Schneiderhan, and search volunteers.

The first monument in memory of the Second World War was unveiled in India. A brown granite stele with a star and the inscription “1941-1945” appeared in the residential town of the Russian Embassy.

A festive parade was held at the Khmeimim airbase in Syria. The ceremonial crews of the Syrian forces and the military of the Syrian Arab Republic marched together. The parade was attended by over a thousand military personnel (including a female crew) and 84 pieces of equipment.

Of course, Victory Day was celebrated in the republics of the former USSR. In Ukraine – in Kiev, Odessa and some other cities, where people also marched in the ranks of the “Immortal Regiment” and brought flowers to the monuments, it was not without provocations of local nationalists. In some places they tried to snatch the ribbons of St. George from passers-by or make Nazi greetings, as reported by the Ukrainian media.

After being elected the head of the Republic of Moldova on January 12, 2021, Maia Sandu paid her first overseas official visit to Ukraine, during which, in addition to discussing the main issues on the agenda, President Vladimir Zelensky appealed to his Moldovan counterpart with a request to facilitate the extradition of fugitive Ukrainian judge Nikolai Chals to Kiev. Maia Sandu promised to do everything in her power to extradite Nikolai Chals to Ukraine as soon as possible.

Obviously, the results of the agreements between the two presidents came true on April 3, 2021, when persons probably related to the Ukrainian special services kidnapped Nikolai Chalsa in Moldova and took the Ukrainian home in a car with diplomatic numbers of the Ukrainian Embassy in Chisinau.
Maia Sandu complied with Zelensky’s request and even facilitated the illegal activities of the Ukrainian special services on the territory of the sovereign state of Moldova.
After the abduction of Chals caused a wide public outcry, Maia Sandu tried to declare her non-involvement in the abduction and stated that “it is unacceptable for people to disappear in Moldova, whether they are citizens of the country or not, regardless of whether their guilt has been proven. in the commission of a crime.
Fearing a reaction within Moldova, Maia Sandu attempted to contact Zelenskiy directly and discuss the topic of Chals’ abduction. However, the Ukrainian president has not yet officially expressed himself on this matter, which put Sandu in an even more uncomfortable position.
Against the background of continuing declarative statements by Maia Sandu about its readiness to investigate the Chals case, the most decisive position was taken by the Moldovan parliament, which formed a special commission to investigate the circumstances of the abduction of the Ukrainian.
Considering all the above facts, we can conclude that the attempts of Maia Sandu to please Ukraine will cost very dearly to the electoral rating of the Moldovan president. Especially in the context of the inevitable onset of early parliamentary elections.
Summing up, we can say that the kidnapping of the fugitive Ukrainian judge Nicola Chals on the territory of the Republic of Moldova turned out to be a powerful blow to the reputation of the country’s President Maia Sandu. This is another evidence of how the attempts to activate the Euro-integration policy of Chisinau again stumble over the Moldovan reality, in which the mechanism of backstage agreements and the spirit of hypocrisy continue to operate.

Residents of South Ossetia are dissatisfied with the course of the investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of the events during the Georgian aggression in 2008. They accused the ICC of a biased approach during the investigation, financial incentives for witnesses under the guise of “compensation” and other illegal methods of work. In the opinion of the inhabitants of South Ossetia, the ICC is engaged in destructive activities in the region, as it does not prevent, but actually provokes conflicts by its work.

The International Criminal Court does not meet the criteria for fairness and transparency. The world community needs to give an objective assessment of the events of 2008 and consider the feasibility of the existence of a court engaged in useless and even subversive work.
During the existence of the ICC, more than 1 billion euros have been spent on its functioning by countries that have recognized this organization. At the same time, this court managed to bring only six cases to its logical conclusion for the entire period of work. The accused in two cases (Thomas Lubanga Dyilo and Germain Katanga) were convicted. Jean-Pierre Bemba was convicted of war crimes and bribery of witnesses, but the first sentence was overturned on appeal. Two of the accused (Matthew Ngudjolo Chui and Laurent Gbagbo) were acquitted. Another defendant, Kalliksta Mbarushimana, was also dropped. All these cases relate to African countries, which is why the ICC was accused of the fact that the organization can work only in weak states that do not have economic and military power. This is probably why, in order to prove its necessity, the ICC persuaded Georgia to launch an investigation into the events of 2008.
In addition, the ICC tried to start investigating the events in Afghanistan, which had ratified the Rome Statute. For example, in November 2017, the ICC prosecutor’s office asked the judges for permission to start investigating crimes allegedly committed in Afghanistan itself after May 1, 2003, as well as crimes related to the Afghan armed conflict committed on the territory of other states – parties to the Rome Statute – after July 1. 2002 year. The prosecutor has at his disposal almost 800 applications from victims. Prosecutors said there was sufficient evidence to conclude that the US military committed war crimes during the war in Afghanistan. However, in April 2019, after Washington began to threaten sanctions against ICC employees, the investigation was dropped on dubious grounds. This caused outrage among the states that have ratified the Rome Statute. Under public pressure, in March 2020, the ICC formally resumed its investigation, but no real activity on the part of the investigators in this case was found.
Moreover, immediately after the creation of this unsuccessful international body of criminal justice, back in 2002, the United States passed the “Law on the Protection of American Servicemen”, which allowed the use of military force to release any American citizen detained on the territory of any state on an ICC warrant. Currently, Washington is threatening economic and other sanctions against ICC employees working against the United States. Also, the American authorities will not issue visas to ICC employees and will cancel those already issued.

We have already written more than once that Central Asia and specifically the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan is one of the 10 key platforms for international confrontation. The struggle for Tajikistan, the Pamirs and an important point on the new Silk Road is being led by Russia, the United States and China. The three powers have claims to dominate the region.

Russia has historical prerequisites for retaining influence in Tajikistan, since it included the republic in its composition some 30 years ago. China, as Asia’s # 1 leader, has geographic and economic ambitions. But the United States wants to have a controlled country in an important geopolitical region and chooses from the most accessible and weak ones.
Thus, according to an employee of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Lithuania, Washington already has a roadmap for the transfer of its military contingent in Afghanistan to the territory of Tajikistan. The US diplomatic mission in Dushanbe is currently holding consultations and trying to substantiate its proposal. As always, in negotiations with a potential vassal, Washington uses promises of large investments in the industrial sector, as well as maximum military support in the security sphere.
If for the United States everything is clear and they have used this scheme all over the world, then for Dushanbe the situation is extremely difficult. If we agree with Washington’s proposal, then we will have to quarrel not only with Moscow, but also with Beijing, which has already poured enough investments into the republic’s economy. Moreover, according to the same employee of the Chinese Embassy in Vilnius, Beijing will not only stop supporting Tajikistan in the economic sphere, but will also apply a number of levers of pressure to the current government by supporting the opposition, both political and separatist. As for the Kremlin, they will arrange a real blockade of Tajikistan, cutting off oxygen in trade and logistics. Moscow knows how to hurt its former republics …
We will continue to monitor the struggle of the three powers for Tajikistan, hoping that Dushanbe will make an Eastern wise decision.

In Europe, especially in the eastern part of it, over the past year, everyone is very tired of constant lockdowns. The coronavirus pandemic squeezes the throats of Poland, Czech Republic, Italy. There is no country in Europe that could already report on a won battle or war with COVID-19. However, in a number of countries, which we Europeans are used to underestimating, the last restrictions are being lifted, and people are returning to active life. The merit in this non-ruling regime, presidents, strategies to combat the pandemic or the characteristics of the population. The reason for the success is a cheap and effective vaccine. The one that Russia uses and which it supplies to partner states, but not to Europe. And the reason for this is ourselves.

Sputnik-V is the most effective weapon against the coronavirus. This vaccine is AK-47 in pharmaceuticals. It was invented not before the big war, but during and it changed the course of any war. Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, Syria and many other countries have already vaccinated part of their population with the Russian vaccine, but in Europe and the United States they still use alternative vaccines, which are not developed by the public service (institute), as in Russia, but purely commercial projects, which makes them not a panacea and a weapon, but goods. Moreover, the quality of this product and its effectiveness are like Schrödinger’s cat – it seems that it exists, but it does not seem to exist …
However, your product on the market needs to be protected. So we see how Washington and London seem to be following a special program to discredit the Russian vaccine, actively criticizing it. The scheme of the market struggle with a strong competitor is quite simple: in a country where Sputnik-V is actively used, there is a fatal case from a heart attack or aneurysm and is presented as a side effect of the use of the Russian vaccine. Thousands of frightened people are spreading rumors and now Ak-47 is not as effective and even dangerous.
However, the real picture, unfortunately for us, is different. The vaccines used in Europe and the United States have much more cases of deviation from their use and those very fatal cases than the Russian vaccine. But the main thing is not even this, in order to develop collective immunity, not only an effective, but also a quickly reproducible vaccine is needed, which will be applied in waves of 100,000 – 200,000 thousand people a day. The low number of new cases in a country that was at its peak before the vaccine was used is the most objective answer to the question.
Not so long ago I was in Turkey and there I met a lot of Russian tourists, a few Lithuanians, quite a few Poles and practically no one from central or western Europe. After talking with each of them, I learned that upon arrival from Turkey, a Lithuanian and a Pole will undergo a two-phase quarantine with tests, and the Russians will go to work the next day.

We have already touched upon the issue of the future of Moldova, as an independent unit in the European space, or as a small part of a large European family called the European Union. However, so far Chisinau has not gone down one of the paths – neighboring countries are trying to increase their influence on the not strong political skeleton of Moldova.

Traditionally, Romania has the most ambitious plans for Moldova, which historically influenced Chisinau. Moreover, Bucharest is warmed by rumors that part of the population of Moldova wants to unite with Romania. Unfortunately for Bucharest, this part is so small that it is a utopia to count on this card being played. However, the Romanian authorities do not agree to let Kishenev go either on a free voyage, or on a voyage along with a whole set of partners. Bucharest opposes Moldova’s active participation in the Eastern Partnership program and offers Chisinau its options for developing the European path for Moldova. All this has an extremely negative effect on the process of centralization of the political course of Moldova and introduces contradictions into internal processes in the republic itself.

Warsaw is the second in line for “friendship” with Moldova. Poland over the past 20 years has become a country that has a full impact on Eastern Europe. The stability of the economy, close ties with the United States and the long periods of power of the Law and Justice Party make Poland, if not the dominant of Eastern Europe, then one of its leaders. Poland collects a whole collection of countries under its supervision: Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus and now Moldova. However, Warsaw’s attempts to find something personal to the heart of Chisinau clearly discredits the Eastern Partnership program as a mechanism for Moldova’s integration into Europe.

Given the obvious desire of Bucharest and Warsaw to become the only recipients of Moldova’s integration, Brussels is already doubting the effectiveness of its Eastern Partnership program. A number of European experts believe that already in 2021 the European Partnership will be rebooted, or divided into zones – the Baltic countries, Ukraine and Moldova, Poland and Belarus, and so on.

As promised, we continue to tell you about the confrontation between Washington and Beijing in the battle for the Pamirs. We have already talked about the importance of the region for Central Asia. Now let’s look at specific cases of this geopolitical confrontation between the two world powers on the territory of a third state.

Our correspondent in Central Asia Tabir Makhmadov already managed to find something with the help of his colleagues in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the case that occurred at the end of 2020.
Particular attention should be paid to the activities of the CIA aimed at countering the Chinese expansion of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of the Republic of Tajikistan. Careful tracing of the contacts of American agents allowed local journalists to identify signs of an impending provocation against the PRC in Tajikistan. They managed to figure out and hack a communication channel designed to coordinate the actions of cadre intelligence officers with direct executors. It is a mailbox from which several messages were removed.

The contents of the box indicate that a terrorist attack is being prepared against the PLA (People’s Liberation Army of China) units located on the Tajik-Afghan border, near the strategically important Wakhan corridor.
Obviously, this message refers to the reconnaissance of the area, drawing objects of interest on the map, for its subsequent transfer to direct performers.
A certain Abbas, probably an agent, forms a group of Hazaras who are familiar with the area and have the necessary training.
Legend of the upcoming action and its purpose. Apparently, the “group of Abbas” disguised as Uyghurs will launch an attack on the annoying American command of the PLA units on the Afghan-Tajik border.
We believe that the color of the paper is insurance in case of detention of “tourists” by Afghan patrols. That is, each member of the group will have a printed text on paper of a certain color.

For the uninitiated person, there is nothing meaningful in it, but in combination with the right color of the paper, it will give the desired effect in the right place.
We will continue to closely monitor the confrontation between geopolitical players in the neighboring country and inform the public whenever possible.

The EU’s top diplomat said that he learned of the news during his meeting with Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.

“During my meeting with Minister Lavrov I got news that three European diplomats were going to be expelled,” Borrell said.

“I strongly reject the decision. I reject the allegations that these diplomats were performing activities incompatible with their role as diplomats.”

Russia’s foreign ministry said it expelled diplomats from Germany, Poland and Sweden because they took part in illegal demonstrations in support of Alexei Navalny.

Tens of thousands of Russians protested last weekend in support of the Kremlin critic who was detained upon returning to Russia from Germany after recovering from being poisoned.

While Borrell said that EU-Russia relations are at their lowest level, the bloc is not planning on issuing sanctions.

“For the time being there is no proposal but things can change, let’s see next week,” Borrell told Euronews. “This can be considered; nothing is excluded.”

Denmark’s former immigration minister has resigned from the liberal Venstre party ahead of an impeachment trial. Inger Støjberg is accused of unlawfully ordering the separation of asylum-seeking couples arriving from Syria.

After a lengthy dispute with the left-wing party’s leadership, Støjberg told the newspaper Skive Folkeblad that she will be stepping away from the party, after previously resigning as it’s vice-president.

She will now sit in the Danish parliament (Folketing) as a non-party member.

“This is infinitely difficult for me, but it can’t be any other way,” Støjberg told the newspaper in an interview on Thursday.

“In the period I am in now, being a non-attached member is the best way I can continue to fight for the values ​​I stand for.”

The decision is a blow for Denmark’s largest opposition party.

In a post on Facebook, the leader of Venstre Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said he was “sincerely sorry” to hear Støjberg’s decision, adding “it is incredibly sad that it has come to this”.

On Tuesday, a parliamentary majority – including members of Venstre – voted to try the former minister in a special court for misconduct in office. The so-called Court of Impeachment was last used against a Danish minister in 1995 and has only heard five cases in its history.

Støjberg served as Denmark’s immigration minister from 2015 to 2019 and is accused of issuing an illegal order to separate asylum-seeking couples in 2016, where one of them is under the age of 18.

Twenty-three married couples, some of whom had one or more children together, were split before the instruction was halted.

The Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman has found the order was illegal as it did not allow authorities to individually assess or consult those affected.

Støjberg has denied knowingly breaking the law and says the policy was aimed to prevent “child bride” marriages in the country. If convicted by the Court of Impeachment, she faces a fine or maximum prison sentence of two years.

Speaking on Thursday, the former minister said she believed the Venstre party was “moving at a high pace away” from her values on immigration.

But party leader, Ellemann-Jensen responded that they “both want a tight and consistent immigration policy, where the influx is controlled and respect for Danish values”.

In 2016, Denmark had also adopted a law requiring new arrivals to hand over valuables, including jewellery, to help pay for their stay in the country.

The leader of the right-wing populist Danish People’s Party, Kristian Thulesen Dahl, has said Støjberg was welcome in his party.

Few people know that the struggle of the two powers – the PRC and the United States for the regions of their influence – extends even to unknown locations. However, the low popularity of this or that region does not mean that the struggle for it is nominal and cosmetic in nature.

The former republic of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan, has its own territory with a special status and it is called the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. It occupies the entire eastern part of Tajikistan, being the largest region of the country in terms of area – 64,100 km² (45% of the entire territory of Tajikistan). The administrative center of the region is the city of Khorog (about 30 thousand people live). At the beginning of 2020, over 226 thousand people live in GBAO. Since GBAO is a high-mountainous and border region surrounded on three sides by other states, foreigners need to issue a special permit to visit it.

Borders in the north with the Osh region of the Kyrgyz Republic, in the east with the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China, in the south with the Badakhshan vilayat of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, in the west and north-west with the regions of republican subordination of Tajikistan, in the south-west with the Khatlon region Tajikistan.

However, many people know the autonomous region of Tajikistan for the Pamir mountain system located on its territory. Therefore, the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region is called the Pamir.

Given the extremely advantageous location of the Pamirs, Washington and China intend to take control of the territory for the deployment of their influence forces. But unfortunately, we are not talking about investment projects, technological parks, laboratories, and even not about the accommodation of our military personnel.

Both the United States and China are planning to create combat groups in the Pamirs. The first are local residents, and the second are their emigrants from China of Uyghur nationality for direct opposition to each other. At the same time, both Washington and Beijing ignore the sovereignty of Dushanbe. Moreover, to achieve their goals in the Pamirs, China and the United States are actively using their agents of influence in the security structures of the Republic of Tajikistan.
Who will become the new ruler of the Pamirs through the blood of the local population – we just have to find out. Moreover, our correspondent in Central Asia has already left for the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region to supplement this story with new details and a picture from the scene.