The pair discussed the ongoing military escalation in Gaza and its surrounding areas. (SPA/AFP)
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a phone call from Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday, the Saudi Press Agency said.
The pair discussed the ongoing military escalation in Gaza and its surrounding areas.
The crown prince reiterated that the Kingdom is exerting all possible efforts in communicating with all international and regional parties to halt the escalation.
He stressed Saudi Arabia’s position rejecting targeting of civilians and taking innocent lives, emphasizing the need to take into account the principles of international humanitarian law, noting the grave concern about the seriousness of the humanitarian conditions in Gaza Strip.
The crown prince stressed Kingdom’s firm position towards supporting the Palestinian cause and efforts aimed at achieving a comprehensive and just peace that guarantees the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights.
Saudi crown prince discusses escalation in Gaza with Jordanian, Egyptian leaders
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in phone calls the military escalation in Gaza and its surroundings and the worsening situation threatening the lives of civilians and the security and stability of the region.
It was agreed during the calls on the need to intensify international and regional efforts to stop the escalation in Gaza and its surroundings and prevent its expansion in the region, the Saudi Press Agency said on Monday.
The Crown Prince affirmed that the Kingdom stands by the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate rights, realize their hopes and aspirations, and achieve just and lasting peace.
Saudi crown prince receives phone call from Palestinian president
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas discussed the military escalation in Gaza and its surroundings and the deteriorating situation that threatens the lives of civilians and the security and stability of the region.
In a phone call, the crown prince reiterated that Saudi Arabia, in communication with all international and regional parties, is exerting all efforts to stop the ongoing escalation and prevent its expansion in the region, emphasizing the necessity of adhering to international humanitarian law and not targeting civilians.
He also stressed the Kingdom’s continuous stand by the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate rights to a decent life, realize their hopes and aspirations, and achieve just and lasting peace, the Saudi Press Agency said Monday.
Abbas extended his thanks to the Kingdom’s leadership, appreciating its firm positions and efforts to stand with the Palestinian people and their just cause.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kyrgyzstan. The current visit is the first foreign visit for the Russian leader this year.
Putin has a busy program in Bishkek. On Thursday, the working day will begin with an official meeting between the Russian President and his Kyrgyz counterpart Sadyr Japarov at the Ala-Archa state residence. There they will hold negotiations, after a number of bilateral documents will be signed. The leaders will also make statements to the press.
Later on Thursday, Putin will take part in an event dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Russian military air base in Kant. Also on Thursday, the Russian President is scheduled to hold talks with Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev
Lavrov Holds Press Conference in Kyrgyzstan's Bishkek
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek to attend a meeting of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers (CMFA).
Sputnik goes live as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds a press conference following the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) ministerial meeting in Bishkek.
The talks focused on expanding and strengthening cooperation among member states in trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres.
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Israel has amassed some 300,000 troops, armed with tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and artillery, and supported by helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.
Their mission is to secure the perimeter around Gaza to make sure that Hamas fighters are not able to sortie forth and commit atrocities against the citizens of Israel like those that occurred on October 7 and 8. At some point it is estimated that these troops will be ordered into Gaza for the purpose of destroying Hamas as an organization. But the sad fact is that the Israeli Army today is not up to such a mission. It lacks the training and fortitude for a task like that, regardless of outcome, and will cost Israel thousands of lives if seen to fruition. Any Israeli assault on Gaza is doomed to fail before it even begins.
A short look back at the preparedness and training of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) helps underscore the reasoning behind such a bleak assessment. Earlier this year, over the course of two weeks, stretching from late May through early June, the IDF carried out a massive exercise, code named “Firm Hand,” which tested the Israeli capability to wage war on multiple fronts. Like a similar exercise held the year before, code named “Chariots of Fire,” the “Firm Hand” event focused on a major air campaign being waged against Iran, and a major ground war being waged against Hezbollah, in northern Israel/southern Lebanon. Both exercises envisioned that there would be outbreaks of localized violence in the West Bank and along the Gaza Strip that would need to be contained by forces allocated to the Central and Southern military commands, respectively.
The focus of effort for both exercises was the Northern Command, and more specifically, the border with Lebanon. There, beyond the border, were located the forces of Hezbollah, a Lebanese political party which maintained a militia larger, better trained, and better equipped than most armies. Israel fought a 34-day war with Hezbollah in August 2006, pitting a force that had grown to over 30,000 troops, backed by tanks, artillery, helicopters, and fixed wing aircraft, against a lightly armed unit of around 3,000 fighters.
The war was an unmitigated disaster for the IDF. Hezbollah commanders found that Israeli troops were by and large poorly organized and disciplined, with very little training that was relevant to the rigors of modern war. Israeli tank operators were unfamiliar with tactics relevant to the terrain they were operating in, leaving themselves open to Hezbollah attacks that ended up destroying 20 of Israel’s vaunted Merkava tanks.
Israel has been struggling to overcome the stain of its 2006 defeat at the hands of Hezbollah. In 2016, the IDF embarked on Project Gideon, a five-year plan designed to reconfigure and retrain the Israeli Army so that it would not repeat the mistakes of 2006. When Project Gideon was completed, Israel then embarked on what it called the “Tnufa” (“Momentum”) plan, intended to build on the changes effected under Project Gideon. Part of the Tnufa plan is something called Ground Horizon, a series of technical innovations designed to make Israeli ground forces more effective.
The IDF forces participating in both the Chariots of Fire and Firm Hand exercises had been at the receiving end of the Project Gideon/Tnufa/Ground Horizon changes. Two of the IDF’s premier units, the 91st “Galilee” Division, responsible for defending against Hezbollah from Lebanon, and the 36th Ga’ash (“Golan”) Armored Division, which is responsible for the Syrian border, took the lead in the exercises. They carried out a multidivisional exercise where they conducted combined arms training against a Hezbollah-like foe.
The Central Command and Southern Command practiced several counterterrorism exercises which emphasized the security of residents in Judea and Samaria.
When the Firm Hand exercise was completed, the IDF high command declared it a success.
They had not exercised against an event like the Hamas attacks of October 7-8 of this year.
Urban combat is extraordinarily difficult. It is made even more so when a defender can settle in amongst the rubble of a destroyed city. Ask the Germans at Stalingrad. Ask the French, British, Indians, and Poles who fought at Monte Casino. Ask either the Ukrainians or Russians about Mariupol and Artemovsk (Bakhmut).
The Israeli military today is more comfortable making TikTok videos and posting Instagram photographs than they are in perfecting the skillsets needed to close with and destroy your enemy through firepower and maneuver. This is a military that, with a few exceptions found in the elite reconnaissance units of the IDF, has grown accustomed to a peacetime ritual more akin to the life of a corrections officer than soldier. The IDF has become experts at arresting children, beating up women, and murdering unarmed men.
Digging a competent enemy out of the rubble of a destroyed city, especially when they have prepared and organized for such a battle, is deadly work. The Israeli troops who have been assembled outside of Gaza are not ready for this fight. They are not trained or equipped for this fight. They are not psychologically prepared for this fight.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit China next week personally, his assistant, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters on Wednesday, noting that preparations for his trip are now in full swing.
The exact dates of Putin’s visit have not yet been released, but Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted in a press briefing on Wednesday that these dates have been determined and will be published in “a timely manner.” Before traveling to China, the Russian leader will also visit Kyrgyzstan on October 12-13.
Last month, during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Moscow, Putin confirmed that he would be traveling to Beijing on his first foreign trip in 2023.
The Russian president said he was “happy to accept the invitation” from his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, who had invited him to attend the Belt and Road Forum held in Beijing on October 17-18.
According to Hua Chunying, the official representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the third international forum will be dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. President Xi will reportedly participate in the forum’s opening ceremony and deliver a keynote speech, after which he will hold a banquet and bilateral events with forum guests. The event will focus on increasing cooperation between countries within the Belt and Road framework.
Last month, China stated that representatives from some 90 countries, including Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, will attend the event.
The Belt and Road Initiative was first floated by Xi Jinping in 2013, with its goal being to foster infrastructure development and investment in Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and elsewhere. More than 150 countries and organizations have joined the project.
Putin's Speech at REW-2023: Russia to Ensure Global Energy Market's Stability for Decades to Come
The major theme of Russian Energy Week-2023 is titled the "New Reality of Global Energy: Creating the Future." President Vladimir Putin outlined his nation's view on the world's most urgent energy issues and ways to overcome emerging crises.
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech to the plenary session, the forum's main event, on October 11.
The REW-2023, which is taking place between October 11 and 13, has brought together over 4,000 visitors from more than 60 countries and territories at the Manege Central Exhibition Hall in Moscow.
Russia extended invitations to high-ranking officials such as Prime Minister of Iraq Mohammed Shiaa Sabbar Al-Sudani, Prime Minister of Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Radovan Viskovic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil of Iraq Hayyan Abdulghani Abdulzahr Alsawad, and Executive Vice President, Minister of Economy, Finance, and Foreign Trade of Venezuela Delcy Eloina Rodriguez Gomez.
The Russian president's address is timely, given the chaos in the energy markets provoked by Western power games that have particularly backfired on Europe, according to Alex Krainer, founder of Krainer Analytics and creator of I-System Trend Following, who has worked as a market analyst, researcher, trader, and hedge fund manager.
"Without a doubt, we'll have a less reliable supply of more expensive energy, the whole economy will become much weaker and less competitive," Krainer told Sputnik. "In part, the Europeans were too relaxed about jeopardizing their energy security because they imagined they could easily replace Russian supplies with alternatives from Qatar or North Africa. But as it turned out, Qatar can't replace Russian quantities and the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline was meant to traverse Niger, so it is now in jeopardy."
Basic Priority of Russia's Fuel and Energy Complex: Domestic Consumers
Addressing the REW-2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin underscored that several centers of economic development have emerged across the globe, as the world is transiting to a multipolar order. This process provides new opportunities for the Russian fuel and energy complex, according to the Russian president.
"The Russian economy is currently undergoing such a stage of structural transformation. The geography of foreign trade, employment parameters, and the industry picture are changing, and completely new market prospects for small and medium-sized businesses are emerging. The Russian fuel and energy complex is also undergoing profound changes. They affect all areas of work: extraction and processing of energy resources, service and logistics, interaction with foreign partners," Putin told the participants of the Russian Energy Week.
However, Russia's basic priority in the energy sector is currently to ensure supplies to the national market, which has been increasing its energy consumption in recent years.
Per the Russian president, the hike in energy consumption in Russia clearly indicates the positive dynamics of the country's economic growth.
The president touched upon the national gasification program, which has been gaining steam since 2021, with 375,000 households having already been connected to the gas pipeline network out of the planned one million.
In addition to that, Russia is planning to unify its Western and Eastern gas grids and link the Power of Siberia natural gas pipeline to the Sakhalin–Khabarovsk–Vladivostok gas transmission system.
Putin highlighted that the Russian authorities will increase the reliability of energy supply to Russian regions, paying special attention to improving energy efficiency in housing and communal services and transport. He particularly stressed that the Russian government is determined to solve the issue of soaring domestic gasoline prices and ensure the stability and predictability of costs.
"We will consistently improve the reliability of energy supply to the regions. Networks and energy transmission lines must operate clearly, sustainably, and have reserves for the development of territories," Putin said.
Russia Reaching Technological Sovereignty in Energy Field
President Putin emphasized the necessity of reaching full sovereignty in the energy field in terms of technology, personnel, and finances. He referred to the fact that Russia has made considerable progress on that path by developing new sophisticated equipment and technologies, educating energy specialists, and offering new mechanisms for financing and payments.
Since 2014, Russia has developed over 140 types of domestically-made products to ensure independence and uninterrupted operation of the nation's fuel and energy complex. The Russian state’s large-scale contracts for domestic equipment for the fuel and energy sector facilitate this process, according to the president.
Russia's Nuclear Industry Has No Competitors Abroad
Vladimir Putin pointed out that Russia's nuclear industry and Rosatom, as its flagship, is second to none. Currently, the Rosatom state nuclear corporation is simultaneously building a whopping 22 power units abroad, which constitutes 80% of the world's market, per the president.
"The Russian engineering school for the construction and maintenance of nuclear power facilities is not only strong, but has practically no competitors at the global level," Putin told the plenary session of the REW-2023.
Putin referred to Rosatom's Akkuyu project in Turkiye, the Ed-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant in Egypt, and the Rooppur Nuclear Power Station in Bangladesh.
When it comes to Egypt, Russia is not only building nuclear facilities in the country, but is providing services and education, thereby laying the groundwork for the North African state's energy sovereignty, the Russian president emphasized. Per him, this complex approach is one of Rosatom's major competitive advantages.
Russia is not against the participation of third countries in construction of Russian nuclear power plants abroad, the Russian president added.
Russia's Green Hydroelectric Power
Vladimir Putin drew attention to the fact that RusHydro – Russia's largest hydro-generating company – remains one of the world leaders in the field of clean and green hydropower. Russia has built 350 hydro-electric facilities in 54 countries, including in Africa and Latin America.
Building and providing maintenance for hydro-power stations across the world allows Russia to enhance its technological cooperation with foreign states and strengthen interstate economic relations, too, according to the Russian president.
Anti-Russian Sanctions Have Taken Toll on Europe
Having imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia, EU member states are trying to completely abandon Russian energy, the Russian president said, adding that these efforts have already brought their economic growth to a zero mark.
"In Europe, we are being led by individuals who are deeply attached to ideological constructs, but have no regard for, or even understanding of the economic costs of their pursuit of such ideological ends," said Alex Krainer. "Well, the costs have been staggering and they'll only keep growing until there's a change of course. Germany has lost an estimated half a million jobs and even Economy Minister Robert Habeck has had to admit that the situation is due to high energy prices, which he said Germany is feeling more because it was used to cheap Russian gas. But as we will soon discover, we will reap a veritable banquet of consequences for winning our freedom from Russian energy dependence, including the collapse of the euro and the breakup of the EU and probably NATO with it.”
Putin noted this year that European economic growth is demonstrating negative dynamics, given that the bloc's industrial sector has long been reliant on Russia's cheap energy commodities. Likewise, the European population is facing negative income growth, according to the Russian president. In contrast, leading Asian nations – China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam – have been outpacing their US and EU peers in terms of their share in global gross domestic product (GDP) adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), he remarked.
"It's a difficult path in Europe, that's absolutely true," Thierry Bros, professor at the Paris Institute of Political Studies and a contributor to Natural Gas World, an independent specialized website, told Sputnik. "We went through this last winter, partially because winter was warmer than perhaps what we were expecting. We are going to again have difficulties in the next two winters, as most analysts are thinking, because of the attention on the gas market."
OPEC+ Works to Stabilize Global Energy Market
According to Vladimir Putin, the stability of the global energy market requires the international interaction of major suppliers on open and transparent terms. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Plus (OPEC+) – a bloc consisting of the 13 OPEC members and 10 non-OPEC oil producers – has proven effective in coping with global energy challenges, according to Vladimir Putin. Russia remains one of the bloc's leading members. The president reminded the audience that the stable energy market is a key to the welfare of global populations.
"Russia, as before, will make a significant contribution to balancing the global energy market, and develop partnerships and cooperative ties with those countries that want and are interested in this," the Russian president said.
He noted that Russia's shift in the deliveries of its energy commodities from the Atlantic to the Asian market is not just a result of the Western sanctions policy, but a response to objective economic trends. While Asia's share in global energy consumption is set to grow from 22% in 2020 to over 30% by 2050, the EU's share is projected to shrink dramatically.
Russia's LNG Industry Growing Fast
It is projected that the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by Russia will grow substantially in the coming decade, according to the president.
"Russia also has ambitious plans in the field of LNG. In the next decade, its production should triple — to 100 million tons per year," Putin told the participants of the REW-2023 forum.
He noted that the LNG industry offers flexibility in supplies and is gaining momentum worldwide with new LNG terminals being built across the world. By 2035, global LNG demand is expected to rise to around 600 million metric tons per year (MTPA).
"Energy production is key to economic development, and Russia's tripling of its LNG production over the next 10 years will be a great positive for the Russian economy as well as the economies of Russia's partners in the region," Krainer remarked, adding that it could potentially "draw the world closer to Russia in diplomatic and political ways as well."
Russia not only has the ability to enhance its share in the global LNG market, but is developing new routes to deliver the commodity, the president noted, referring to Russia's Northern Sea Route (NSR), an ambitious Russian Arctic maritime transport artery running through the waters of Russia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the far North, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea in the east to the Barents and White Seas in the west.
Furthermore, Putin referred to a number of innovative LNG endeavors, including the Arctic LNG-2 project in Murmansk. The gravity-based structures of the Arctic LNG-2 will minimize the capital cost and the project's footprint in the Arctic zone of Russia. Once completed, it will encompass three liquefaction trains, producing a total of 19.8 million tons per annum (MTPA) of LNG, and up to 1.6 MTPA of stable gas condensate (SGC).
The Russian president pointed to the successful development of Russia's fuel and energy complex, stressing that the nation will continue to making a significant contribution to balancing the global energy market together with its partners.
The annual REW forum has become a key international platform for discussing global energy trends. The event traditionally hosts high-profile political leaders and energy industry heads. This year, the platform features 30 events, divided into thematic blocks: the International Agenda, Sustainable Development and the Climate, Scientific and Technological Development and the Digital Transformation, and the Development of the Fuel and Energy Sector.
Russia always supported establishment of Palestinian state — Putin
Russia has always advocated the implementation of the UN Security Council's decision on the creation of an independent Palestinian state, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the plenary session of the Russian Energy Week.
"We have always supported the implementation of the decisions of the UN Security Council, I mean, first of all, the creation of an independent Palestinian state. This is the root of all problems," Putin pointed out.
He also said that Russia's position on the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict did not emerge as a result of the recent tragic events, but was formed over the past decades. "And this position is well known both to the Israeli side and to our friends in Palestine," the Russian president added.
