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Wednesday, 28 June 2023

Rahmat Hidayat Kaget Bakal Dipasangkan dengan Kevin Sanjaya

Mendengar kabar dipasangkan dengan Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo, Emosi Rahmat Hidayat membuncah. Ia mengaku perasaannya campur aduk saat mengetahui dirinya menjadi partner seniornya, Kevin Sanjaya. Ia merasa kaget, canggung, takut-takut hingga gugup.

Rahmat mengaku tak menyangka bisa menjadi tandem dari salah satu anggota ganda putra paling hebat di dunia tersebut. Pemuda 20 tahun tersebut mengaku canggung saat harus berlatih dengan Kevin.

Rahmat mengaku syok saat dipilih jadi pasangan main Kevin. Meski temporer, tetap saja Rahmat merasa ada kebanggaan tersendiri. Dia merasa kesempatan ini bagus, karena bisa mendulang pengalaman dari Kevin.

"Pasti kaget ya. Karena saya sama-sama pemain depan. Tapi, saya berusaha untuk bisa menutup kekurangan, jadi pemain belakang juga. Sama-sama berjuang lah, jadi pemain belakang juga. Jadi, kami bisa saling menutupi," kata Rahmat pada hari Rabu, 28/06/2023.

Rahmat mengaku belum diinformasikan secara langsung oleh pelatih ganda putra PBSI, Herry Iman Pierngadi, menjadi pasangan Kevin. Namun, Rahmat mengaku sudah memahami niat sang pelatih ketika hari ini dipasangkan dengan Kevin saat menjalani latihan. Rahmat tak bisa menutupi rasa canggungnya bermain bersama pemain senior.

"Awalnya sih, saya masih kayak canggung mainnya. Masih takut-takut, tapi itu akan cair sendiri lah," kata Rahmat.

Rasa canggung saat pasangan dengan Kevin, pasti ada. Tapi, Rahmat mengaku tak merasa tertekan. Dia juga sangat menantikan sensasi bertanding bersama Kevin di turnamen resmi.

"Paling canggung saja sih, kalau tertekan enggak," kata Rahmat.

Pelatih ganda putra Indonesia, Herry Iman Pierngadi (Herry IP) mengungkapkan Rahmat Hidayat terkejut bakal diduetkan dengan Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo. Dia mengatakan anak buahnya itu bahkan sampai ingin selebrasi ketika mendengar kabar itu.

Teka-teki dari siapa pasangan Kevin Sanjaya selanjutnya kini telah terjawab, yakni Rahmat Hidayat. Hal itu diungkapkan Herry IP kepada awak media, termasuk MNC Portal Indonesia, saat ditemui di Pelatnas PBSI, Cipayung, Jakarta Timur, pada hari Rabu, 28/06/2023.

Herry IP menjelaskan bahwa Kevin memilih sendiri pasangan barunya itu. Dia merasa cocok dengan pemain berusia 20 tahun itu dari segi komunikasi di dalam lapangan dan juga punya chemistry yang kuat di luar lapangan karena sering bercanda dan bermain bersama.

Kemudian, Herry IP membeberkan Rahmat terkejut ketika diberitahu akan berduet dengan Kevin. Bahkan, dia ingin melakukan selebrasi tetapi sambil malu-malu dan menahan diri.

“Ya (ekspresinya Rahmat) surprise, nahan-nahan juga sih, nahan-nahan mau selebrasi lah,” kata Herry IP sambil melakukan gestur mengepal tangan ala selebrasi atlet.

Meski begitu, Herry IP menilai Rahmat tak berselebrasi berlebihan karena mungkin sudah sedikit mengira-ngira bakal dipasangkan dengan Kevin. Sebab, mereka memang punya hubungan yang cukup dekat.

“Cuman ya saya bilang ‘kamu harus lebih keras lagi latihannya, kenapa saya pilih kamu ya mungkin kamu lebih muda blablabla’. Yaudah 'makasih koh'. Kira-kira begitu. Ekspresinya enggak berlebihan sih, dia sudah nebak-nebak dan ngira-ngira mungkin,” jelas pelatih berjuluk Coach Naga Api itu.

Rahmat sebelumnya berpasangan dengan Muhammad Rayhan Nur Fadillah. Namun, dia juga sempat menjadi duet sementara dari Pramudya Kusumawardana ketika Yeremia Erich Yoche Rambitan mengalami cedera parah.

Pelatih-Pemain Ganda Putra 'Ledekin' Rahmat Hidayat Saat Diwawancara Sebagai Pasangan Kevin

Pelatih dan para pemain ganda putra 'ngeledekin' Rahmat Hidayat saat diwawancara sebagai pasangan baru Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo. Ini terjadi saat para wartawan akan mewawancarai Rahmat Hidayat di Pelatnas PBSI Cipayung, hari Rabu, 28/06/2023.

Ledekan ini berawal dari Asisten Pelatih Ganda Putra PBSI, Aryono Miranat yang meneriaki Rahmat. "Rahmat, ngapain di situ? Latihan sini," seloroh Aryono menahan senyum.

Pramudya yang sedang dilatih Aryono pun ikut meneriaki Rahmat. "Sini mat, mau ngomong apaan sih?" kata Pramudya sambil tertawa.

Ulah Aryono dan Pramudya pun langsung ditanggapi para pemain ganda putra lainnya yang kebetulan sedang istirahat berlatih. Para pemain ganda putra ikut meneriaki Rahmat sambil tertawa. Rahmat pun menahan malu di depan para wartawan.

Saat Rahmat sedang diwawancara para wartawan, pemain ganda putra lainnya, Yeremia Erich Yoche Rambitan pun ikut menggoda Rahmat dengan berdiri di belakang para wartawan.

"Sebenarnya saya belum dikasih tahu ya, tapi dari teman-teman ngomongnya kayak gitu, saya juga mungkin buat pengalaman saya nanti kalau misalnya beneran jadi partnernya. Bisa jadi pengalaman yang baik buat saya," kata Rahmat.

Rahmat mengaku kaget karena dia dan Kevin sama-sama pemain depan. Tapi dia berusaha untuk bisa menutup kekurangan untuk jadi pemain belakang juga. "Jadi kita bisa saling menutupi," kata dia.

"Buat saya sih, (Kevin) idola saya. Idola saya banget mas Kevin itu," kata dia.

Reaksi Netizen Soal Duet Kevin/Rahmat: Julukannya Keramat Dong

Melihat PBSI merestui pasangan Kevin Sanjaya/Rahmat Hidayat, netizen menunjukkan responsnya yang terlihat dalam pengumuman media sosial PBSI.

Herry IP: Kevin Akan Coba Dipasangkan Dengan Rahmat

Jakarta, 28 Juni 2023

Rehatnya Marcus Fernaldi Gideon untuk menjalani operasi tumit kaki kanan membuat tim ganda putra bergerak cepat mencari pasangan baru Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo. Pelatih Herry Iman Pierngadi mengatakan bahwa… pic.twitter.com/Sc1aVB8WAw
— BADMINTON INDONESIA (@INABadminton) June 28, 2023

"Kevin/Rahmat nanti julukannya Keramat dong," ujar salah satu netizen.

"Kevin/Rahmat, Kemat? Kepanjangannya kemat pangkal kaya."

"Rahmat spesialis pemain pengganti. Pemain versatile yang bisa dipasangin sama siapa aja. Luwes, adaptable dalam berkomunikasi dan pergaulan di antara para pemain lainnya."

"Seharusnya dari tahun kemarin sih langkah ini diambil. Tapi gpp lah never say to late selagi mereka masih enjoy buat main."

"Penasaran gimana mereka di turnamen perdana nantinya. Sepertinya bisa mengejutkan karena Rahmat ini tipenya juga agak nekad dan sedikit cuek, jadi pas sama Kevin."

"Bener-bener angin segar. Semoga ko sinyo cepet sembuh. Semoga Kevin Rahmat bisa bersinar di kerasnya MD."

Updates - Russia Special Military Operation

In February, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after Kiev intensified attacks on the people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. President Vladimir Putin emphasized that Moscow was aiming to stop the eight-year conflict being waged by Ukraine against the people of Donbass.

Kevin Sanjaya dipasangkan dengan Rahmat Hidayat

Rahmad Hidayat (depan) calon tandem baru Kevin Sanjaya menyusul rehatnya Marcus Gideon. Foto: PBSI

Persatuan Bulu Tangkis Seluruh Indonesia (PBSI) mengumumkan atlet bulu tangkis ganda putra Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo akan dipasangkan sementara dengan Rahmat Hidayat.

Menurut Kepala Pelatih Ganda Putra Pelatnas PBSI Herry Iman Pierngadi, keputusan ini diambil berdasarkan kemauan Kevin yang memilih Rahmat sebagai tandem barunya.

"Saya sudah bicara dengan Kevin. Saya kasih pilihan, ternyata dia milihnya Rahmat," kata Herry.Dikutip dari keterangan resmi PBSI, Rabu,

Tim ganda putra bergerak cepat mencari pasangan baru Kevin menyusul rehatnya pasangan Kevin, yakni Marcus Fernaldi Gideon yang masih menjalani operasi tumit kaki kanan.

"Mungkin karena Rahmat sudah di tim utama, sering sparring, kadang diajak makan, jalan juga sama Kevin. Komunikasinya lebih nyambung,” imbuh.

Untuk turnamen yang akan diikuti, pelatih yang dijuluki “coach naga api” itu masih menghitung dan memilah-milah turnamen yang bisa diikuti Kevin/Rahmat.

"Untuk turnamen, saya masih menghitung poin dan memilah-milah dulu turnamen mana yang bisa mereka ikuti. Kita pilih enam bulan ke depan kurang lebih," jelas Herry.

Rahmat sebelumnya pernah berpasangan dengan Muhammad Rayhan Nur Fadillah. Ia sempat pula dipasangkan dengan Pramudya Kusumawardana di beberapa turnamen tahun lalu menyusul cederanya Yeremia Erich Yoche Yacob Rambitan.

Kala itu, Pramudya/Rahmat sukses menyabet dua gelar di ajang Indonesia International Challenge 2022 dan Indonesia Masters 2022 Super 100.

Sementara itu Marcus dan Kevin baru-baru ini tidak mengikuti turnamen Indonesia Open 2023 di Istora Senayan Jakarta, 13–18 Juni, karena cedera. Herry sebelumnya mengatakan cedera telah dirasakan Marcus pada laga di Singapore Open di awal Juni tahun ini.

Sementara pebulu tangkis ganda putra, Marcus Fernaldi Gideon, fokus pada pemulihan cedera.

Marcus diketahui mengalami cedera pada tumit kanan sejak berlaga di Singapore Open 2023 bersama Kevin. Ia pun harus menjalani perawatan dan rehat sementara, sehingga 'The Minions' harus mundur dari Indonesia Open pada 13-18 Juni 2023 lalu.

Kevin Sanjaya akan menjadi pasangan baru bersama Rahmat Hidayat. (Arsip PBSI)

Pelatih eks ganda putra nomor satu dunia itu, Herry Iman Pierngadi, pun menyatakan bahwa selagi Marcus memulihkan cedera tersebut, Kevin akan dipasangkan dengan Rahmat.

Soal turnamen yang akan diikuti oleh Kevin/Rahmat, Herry masih menghitung dan memilah-milah turnamen mana yang bisa dipilih

Rahmat Sempat Diduetkan dengan Pramudya

"Untuk turnamen, saya masih menghitung poin dan memilah-milah dulu turnamen mana yang bisa mereka ikuti. Kita pilih enam bulan ke depan kurang lebih," jelas Herry.

Rahmat sebelumnya berpasangan dengan Muhammad Rayhan Nur Fadillah, dan sempat dipasangkan dengan Pramudya Kusumawardana di beberapa turnamen tahun lalu, menyusul cederanya Yeremia Erich Yoche Yacob Rambitan.

Kala itu, Pramudya/Rahmat sukses menyabet dua gelar di ajang Indonesia International Challenge 2022 dan Indonesia Masters 2022 Super 100.

Hajj 1444 reaches climax as pilgrims ascend Mount Arafat

Muslim pilgrims pray atop Saudi Arabia’s Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal Al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, during the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage on June 27, 2023. (AFP)

Arafat - More than 2 million pilgrims performing Hajj this year ascended Mount Arafat on Tuesday, the climax of a record-breaking pilgrimage returning to full capacity for the first time since the global pandemic.

As the sun rose, pilgrims camping in the tent city of Mina performed dawn (Fajr) prayers, then began reciting Qur’an verses and moving toward Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad gave his final sermon 1,400 years ago.

The ritual is the high point of the annual pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, and a once-in-a-lifetime journey for those who are physically fit and financially able.

The 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, the Day of Arafat, is the single most important day of the Hajj. If a pilgrim misses this day, he or she misses the Hajj.

Announcing the ascent of Arafat — one of the world’s largest religious gatherings — the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said that the tent city of Mina was empty of pilgrims by 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

Worshippers boarded almost 20,000 buses, while the Mashaer railway operated at full capacity transporting pilgrims via the holy sites.

“The pilgrims were transported easily and according to the schedule set,” the ministry said.

After worshippers performed the noon (Dhur) and afternoon (Asr) prayers on Arafat, they “dispersed to Muzdalifah smoothly, according to the plans set for them,” it added.

Pilgrims will return to Mina on Wednesday morning.

Elaborate arrangements were in place to safeguard pilgrims, with city police, civil defense, Saudi Scouts and other security agencies in action. Helicopters were used to monitor entry roads packed with worshippers.

Thousands of health workers were also on alert for cases of heatstroke and exhaustion as temperatures soared to 45 C.

Groups of worshippers holding umbrellas against the fierce sun and reciting verses from the Qur’an formed an endless queue on the rocky ascent to Mount Arafat, also known as the “Mount of Mercy.”

Speaking to Arab News, Mehmet Tokmak, a pilgrim from Germany, said: “This is one of the greatest experiences of my life. I am doing Hajj at a young age and am very happy to be here. The authorities are doing and excellent job.”

Mohammed Maarouf, originally from Syria but now living in Germany, said: “Thanks to the Almighty, I experienced a very good Hajj. It’s very well organized by the Saudi government. I am very excited as this is first time I am here to perform Hajj, though I have done Umrah many times.”

Yusifu Kargbo, from Sierra Leone, said: “This is an amazing Hajj. It’s hard to describe my feelings and emotions. I am living a great joy.”

Hatta Hussain, from Indonesia, said: “Saudi Arabia has made nice arrangements for Hajj — a very warm welcome for pilgrims on their arrival, and then good transport, health and security arrangements, which is praiseworthy.”

Nazim Hussain Jafri, from New Delhi, said: “A very good arrangement is in place to ensure a successful Hajj by King Salman and the Saudi authorities. I admire the warm hospitality extended to us during the pilgrimage. We were received very well in Jeddah on arrival, and throughout the stay I experienced very supportive environment.”

Pilgrims will spend the night out in the open in Muzdalifah, a valley between Mina and Mount Arafat. There they will collect pebbles to be used in a special ritual the following day.

After Fajr prayers on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, pilgrims will leave Muzdalifah and head to Jamarat, where they will use the pebbles to stone a series of three pillars representing the devil.

Women and the elderly can delegate this responsibility to a male on their spiritual journey.

Men are then required to shave their heads, while women cut a lock of their hair as they do after Umrah.

Pilgrims are also required to sacrifice an animal and distribute the meat to the needy. Those who are unable to perform the sacrifice themselves can delegate the task.

Pilgrims then travel back to the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

Warga diimbau pakai transportasi umum jika akan Shalat Id di Istiqlal

Badan Pengelola Masjid Istiqlal (BPMI) mengimbau kepada warga yang akan melaksanakan Shalat Idul Adha 1444 Hijriah/2023 Masehi di Masjid Istiqlal agar memakai transportasi umum.

Masjid Istiqlal menyelenggarakan shalat Idul Adha 1444 Hijriah tingkat kenegaraan pada 10 Dzulhijjah 1443 H atau yang bertepatan pada Kamis, 29 Juni 2023.

Penetapan pelaksanaan shalat Idul Adha 1444 Hijriah tingkat kenegaraan di Masjid Istiqlal tersebut sesuai dengan keputusan pemerintah melalui sidang isbat mengenai pelaksanaan Idul Adha 1444 Hijriah pada Kamis, 29 Juni 2023.

Pelaksanaan shalat Idul Adha 1444 H tingkat kenegaraan direncakan akan dihadiri oleh Wakil Presiden Republik Indonesia KH Ma'ruf Amin, para Menteri Kabinet Indonesia Maju, Pimpinan dan Pejabat Kementerian dan Lembaga Negara, serta Duta Besar negara-negara sahabat.

Shalat Idul Adha akan dimulai pukul 07.00 WIB dan dapat diikuti masyarakat umum dengan tetap memperhatikan ketertiban, kenyamanan serta protokol kesehatan yang berlaku.

Wakil Ketua Bidang Penyelenggara Peribadatan BPMI Abu Hurairah mengatakan warga yang melaksanakan Shalat Idul Adha biasanya lebih banyak dibandingkan Idul Fitri. Kondisi tersebut akan berkaitan dengan lahan parkir yang tersedia.

"Kami mengimbau masyarakat untuk menggunakan transportasi umum, seperti Commuterline, Transjakarta, atau kendaraan online. Sehingga masyarakat tidak perlu repot mencari tempat parkir," kata Abu Hurairah di Jakarta, Rabu.

Pelaksanaan Shalat Idul Adha tingkat kenegaraan di Masjid Istiqlal akan berlangsung pada 10 Dzulhijah 1444 H atau bertepatan pada Kamis, 29 Juni 2023.

Penetapan pelaksanaan Shalat Idul Adha 1444 Hijriah tingkat kenegaraan di Masjid Istiqlal tersebut sesuai dengan keputusan pemerintah melalui sidang isbat mengenai pelaksanaan Idul Adha 1444 Hijriah.

Wakil Presiden Republik Indonesia Ma'ruf Amin, beserta para Menteri Kabinet Indonesia Maju, Pimpinan dan Pejabat Kementerian dan Lembaga Negara, serta Duta Besar negara-negara sahabat direncanakan akan melaksanakan Shalat Id di Istiqlal.

Abu Hurairah mengimbau warga untuk hadir lebih awal agar mendapatkan posisi shaf di depan. Selain itu, BPMI juga mengajak umat Islam untuk melaksanakan Shalat Shubuh terlebih dahulu secara berjamaah.

"Kami juga imbau kepada masyarakat untuk tidak meninggalkan sampahnya, mari terus menjaga masjid agar senantiasa bersih, tidak kumuh. Kami persilakan membawa alas shalat, namun kemudian mohon agar alas shalat tersebut dibawa kembali pulang. Begitu pula botol air mineral," kata dia.

Dikutip dalam laman resmi Masjid Istiqlal, masjid nasional tersebut tidak dibuka 24 jam pada malam takbir Idul Adha 1444 Hijriah. Dengan demikian, masyarakat yang berasal dari luar kota agar mencari penginapan di sekitar masjid.

"Sehingga kami mengimbau masyarakat yang mau menunaikan shalat Idul Adha 1444 H di Masjid Istiqlal, silakan berangkat lebih pagi, atau menginap di tempat penginapan sekitar Istiqlal," kata Abu Hurairah.

Adapun yang akan menjadi khatib yakni Dosen UIN Syarif Hidayatullah sekaligus Katib Am Syuriyah PBNU Abdul Moqsith Ghazali dan yang menjadi imam shalat yakni Moh. Salim Gazali.

Terkait pintu masuk jamaah ketika Shalat Idul Adha 1444 H, yakni gerbang 2 Al-Ghaffar (seberang Pertamina) untuk pejalan kaki, gerbang 3 Al-Aziz (seberang Kemenag/SMPN 04 Jakarta) untuk pejalan kaki dan parkir mobil/motor di Basement Masjid Istiqlal.

Kemudian, gerbang 5 Al-Fattah (seberang Gereja Katedral) untuk pejalan kaki dan gerbang 6 Al-Mukmin (seberang tugu Adipura) untuk pejalan kaki. Perihal pintu masuk Masjid Istiqlal di antaranya pintu Al-Ghaffar, Al-Fattah, As-Salam, dan Al-Qudus.

Wakil Penyelenggara Peribadatan Badan Pengelola Masjid Istiqlal (BPMI) KH Abu Hurairah Abd. Salam, Lc, MA, mengimbau masyarakat untuk hadir lebih awal. "Masyarakat yang ingin mendapatkan shaf di depan, kami imbau untuk mengikuti shalat subuh berjamaah di Masjid Istiqlal," ujarnya kepada Humas dan Media BPMI, di Masjid Istiqlal, Jakarta, pada hari Selasa, 27/06/2023.

Imbauan lain yang perlu diperhatikan masyarakat ialah, pentingnya para jamaah untuk senantiasa menjaga kebersihan masjid. "Kami imbau kepada masyarakat untuk tidak meninggalkan sampahnya, mari terus menjaga masjid agar senantiasa bersih, tidak kumuh. Kami persilakan membawa alas shalat, namun kemudian mohon agar alas shalat tersebut dibawa kembali pulang. Begitu pula botol air mineral," terang KH Abu.

Untuk diketahui, Masjid Istiqlal tidak dibuka 24 jam pada malam takbir Idul Adha 1444 Hijriah. "Sehingga kami mengimbau masyarakat yang mau menunaikan shalat Idul Adha 1444 H di Masjid Istiqlal, silakan berangkat lebih pagi, atau menginap di tempat penginapan sekitar Istiqlal," tambah KH Abu.

"Selain itu, karena biasanya jamaah Idul Adha akan lebih banyak dibandingkan Idul Fitri, kami juga mengimbau masyarakat untuk menggunakan transportasi umum, seperti Commuterline, Transjakarta, atau kendaraan online. Sehingga masyarakat tidak perlu repot mencari tempat parkir," jelas KH Abu.

Kemudian terkait petugas pelaksana shalat Idul Adha 1443 Hijriah, di antaranya sebagai berikut:

Khotib: Dr. KH. Abdul Moqsith Ghazali, MA. (Dosen UIN Syarif Hidayatullah dan Katib Am Syuriyah Pengurus Besar Nahdlatul Ulama), dengan tema: Spirit Idul Adha Tingkatkan Solidaritas Kemanusiaan dan Kedermawanan.

Imam: Ust. Moh. Salim Gazali, SQ. S.Ud

Badal Imam: Ust. Ahmad Anshoruddin Ibrahim, SQ. MA.

Muadzin: Ust. Ilham Mahmuddin, S.Pd Badal Muadzin: Ust. Qadarasmadi Rasyid, S. Hum

Adapun terkait pintu masuk jamaah ketika Shalat Idul Adha 1444 H, KH Abu memaparkan bahwasanya di antara gerbang yang dibuka untuk masyarakat umum, di antaranya:

Gerbang 2 Al-Ghaffar (seberang Pertamina) untuk pejalan kaki.

Gerbang 3 Al-Aziz (seberang Kemenag/SMPN 04 Jakarta) untuk pejalan kaki dan parkir mobil/motor di Basement Masjid Istiqlal.

Gerbang 5 Al-Fattah (seberang Gereja Katedral) untuk pejalan kaki.

Gerbang 6 Al-Mukmin (seberang tugu Adipura) untuk pejalan kaki.

Adapun terkait pintu masuk Masjid Istiqlal di antaranya pintu Al-Ghaffar, Al-Fattah, As-Salam, dan Al-Qudus.

Sergey Karaganov: Here’s why Russia has to consider launching a nuclear strike on Western Europe

This month, there has been an active debate in Russia about the possibility of Moscow preemptively using nuclear weapons. Which would be at variance with the established doctrine. It began after the publication of an article by Professor Sergey Karaganov, which prompted a wide response from the domestic expert community.

While Karaganov has been advocating relaxing the rules, others have different opinions: for example, Fyodor Lukyanov thinks the West cannot be 'sobered up' by using the bomb, and Ilya Fabrichnikov believes Russia should not 'take NATO's bait' and unleash the ultimate weapon.

This is Karaganov’s follow up response to his critics.

During over seventy years of mutual deterrence, atomic weapons have saved the world. People just took this for granted. However, now we see that things have changed and the unthinkable is happening: the West is responsible for a major war in the underbelly of a major nuclear power.

The official history of the creation of these weapons is known, but in my opinion there is also a higher power at play. It is as if the Lord God saw that a large part of humanity had gone mad, having started two world wars in a generation, and gave us these nuclear weapons, which are weapons of the apocalypse. He wanted them to be, to be in the front of our minds, at all times, and to scare us.

But now people have lost their fear.

Over the last few decades in the United States, Western Europe and even partly in Russia, what I call “strategic parasitism” has spread: the belief that there can never be a major war and that there will never be a major war. People are accustomed to peace, and it is on this basis that modern Western ideology has grown. In addition, there is now an unprecedented amount of propaganda around, to an extent unprecedented even during the Cold War.

People are simply being fed lies, and they are afraid to say what they really think. As a result of more than 70 years of peace, the public's sense of self-preservation has become dysfunctional, and it is further stifled by the extraordinarily virulent agitprop, part of which claims that Russia would never be able to attack Western Europe.

Official Western propaganda pumps the idea that the West can do anything it likes and Moscow will just put up with it. This has now become very clear and vivid.

In recent years, Russia has begun to strengthen its nuclear deterrent, but the steps taken so far are woefully inadequate. We, too, became complacent at some point, following Western theories and recklessly overestimating the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, which the West is now exploiting, and not by accident either. The little bureaucrats there keep saying: no, the Russians will never use nuclear weapons.

They do not want to hear anything different under any circumstances, as they don’t want to interrupt their desire for an endless war in Ukraine. Because their military-industrial complex is greater than ours, they just want to wear us down.

I hope we never use nuclear weapons, but the fact that we refuse to allow their use in all situations except in the case of mortal danger to the state itself seems to me to be reckless.

The US is tying Russia's hands in this way, hoping that in the long run this long war will cause an internal implosion. And, as a result, this would radically weaken its main rival, China, which will be left to fend for itself.

At the same time, having already thrown the Ukrainian people into the furnace, the Americans are pushing the Western Europeans into the same place, destroying the status they have held for five centuries. This policy also solves another problem – it destroys the Old World as a strategic player and potential competitor. In turn, the captured West European elites are driving their countries and peoples into the ground.

We would like to believe that our adversaries will come to their senses. Because if they don't, Russia's political-military leadership will be faced with a terrible moral choice and the need to make a hard decision. But I believe that our president must demonstrate his willingness to use nuclear weapons at some point.

But the question is who could and should be the target of such an attack. The Americans, as we all know, have been shamelessly lying when they say that we are preparing to drop an atomic bomb on Ukraine. This is monstrous nonsense, absolutely malicious, because of course the Ukrainians are a miserable, deluded people who are being driven to slaughter. But they are still our people, and we are not going to hit them.

If there are to be nuclear strikes, they should be aimed at countries in Western Europe that have been most supportive of the mercenary regime in Kiev.

Fortunately, we have begun to take steps up the ladder of nuclear deterrence. But we need to move faster and more decisively, even though their use would be, of course, a monstrous step and should be avoided if possible. But as the vector of development of the West, its elites and society – and its movement towards anti-human and post-human values show – all this clearly indicates an objective drift to an eventual thermonuclear war. We have to interrupt this process and save the world – avoiding, of course, super-violent actions if possible.

We have time, but we must realize that it is rather short. We have to use these few years to solve the problem of the West, to make it step back and mind its own business, because now, to distract from its own internal issues, it is trying to start wars all over the world.

Launching the current military operation was an important – and certainly correct – step, although in my view it should have been taken earlier. There are a number of other moves that can be made. In particular, it is worth making it clear to everyone in the West that any attack on Belarus will be equated to a blow to Russia and will have similar consequences.

Possible Russian measures could also include missile redeployments, tests of our strategic missiles at close range, as well as psychological actions and even the severing of diplomatic relations with those countries that play the most active Russophobic roles. Also possible is a measure such as warning all Russian speakers, all citizens of the former Soviet Union, and all people of goodwill to leave places that are potential targets of a nuclear strike.

This too could be a potentially powerful tool of deterrence. And all these people do not have to go to Russia: let them go to other states that do not have military facilities and do not help the Kiev regime and do not supply it with weapons and money - there are many such countries. People should return to Russia not out of fear, but out of their own free will.

When discussing a hypothetical atomic attack on Western Europe, the question arises: how would the US answer? Virtually all experts agree that under no circumstances would the Americans respond to a nuclear attack on their allies with a nuclear attack on our territory. Incidentally, even Biden has said so openly.

Russian military experts, however, believe that a massive conventional retaliatory strike could follow. It could be pointed out that this would be followed by even more massive nuclear strikes. And they would finish off Western Europe as a geopolitical entity. Which, of course, would be undesirable because, after all, we are to some extent Europeans and, to use Dostoyevsky's words, the old European stones are not alien to us.

When discussing such scenarios, the subject of China and its position inevitably comes up. Our strategic goals are the same, but our operational goals differ, of course. And if I were Chinese, I wouldn't be in a hurry to end the conflict in Ukraine, because it diverts US and Western attention and military power away from them and gives Beijing an opportunity to accumulate strength.

It's a perfectly normal, I would say respectful, position. And of course I do not want nuclear weapons to be used. First of all, for moral and ethical reasons: I think the Chinese and I agree on that.

And secondly, because the Chinese still have a small nuclear capability, it is undesirable for them to start a military and political competition in this area right now. In ten years' time they will have a first-class nuclear capability (and even in five to seven years' time their situation will change), and then the best option to prevent a major thermonuclear war will be to have a more powerful China in the front line, with Russia supporting and covering it, as the Chinese are supporting us now.

I fully understand the moral anguish of people who say: under no circumstances is the use of nuclear weapons unthinkable and unacceptable. To which I reply: my friends, I respect pacifists, but they exist and live in this world only because soldiers fight and die for them, just as our soldiers and officers are fighting now in Ukraine.

Laman