Oganesyan interviews Gennady Gatilov, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation. Among other things, Gatilov talks about notables dates in the Russian history, US policy, and issues regarding the situation in Ukraine and the role of Russia at the UN General Assembly. Adapted from the source document.
In spring 1945, having barely come back from Yalta the Western leaders started planning containment and even rollback of the Soviet Union; the first shoots of the rollback strategy appeared at that time. Its authors did not quite believe that this could be done, no wonder the British Armed Forces' Joint Planning Staff codenamed its report Operation Unthinkable. It was drafted on Winston Churchill's personal order; he wanted to know whether Russia could be forced back from Germany and Eastern Europe. He even thought of a date for such an assault--Jul 1, 1945. Yalta is a paradox: The military coalition of the Big Three did fall apart fairly soon, yet the Yalta agreements remained the foundation of the postwar world order for a long time and are still very much alive. Here, Oganesyan discusses the UK, the US and the Soviet Union's global cooperation. Adapted from the source document.
Oganesyan interviews Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Among other things, Ryabkov talks about the process of destroying Syrian chemical weapons and the role of international organizations, as well as Russian experts and diplomats in the process. Adapted from the source document.
Oganesyan features new US Ambassador John Tefft. Among diplomatic circles, Tefft is remembered for his work as minister counselor in Moscow in the late 1990s. However, the political situation in which Tefft is now in Moscow will perhaps force him to show some other qualities of diplomacy, revealing new facets of his personality. He's a diplomat of wide-ranging activities. Despite his age, he nonetheless belongs to the new generation of employees of the State Department, to which also belongs his predecessor, Mr McFaul. Adapted from the source document.
Christ's Nativity took place when humanity was passing through a gloomy age of near-total disregard for human life and of violence which used to be a commonly accepted norm across the Roman Empire. At the time, atrocity was a pervasive cult and, weirdly, a popular demonic sport among the aristocracy and the social lows alike, so that people may be simply unable to imagine how unwelcome Christ's preaching of brotherly love--moreover, of love as self-sacrifice--must have been in the settings. Here, Ognaseyan discusses the miracle of the Christ's Nativity. Adapted from the source document.
During his 40-minute-long address to the UN General Assembly, President Barack Obama sounded less like a president and more like a prophet or a preacher with a mission to reveal the truth about the world to mankind. The host pushed aside all rules to confirm the old truth that weaker positions are defended by stronger rhetoric. Among other things Oganesyan shares that people who represent the world community are exposed to endless bragging and all sorts of opinions voiced by the leader of one, even if the most influential, country. Adapted from the source document.
Oganesyan reveals that next year, Ukraine will receive $18 billion in loans and investments from China. Twenty major agreements have been reached covering a wide range of cooperation in the fields of investment and trade. In the next five years, China plans to import products worth $10 trillion. As a new strategic partner, according to a Ukrainian portal called 'Forum,' Ukraine will have its own guaranteed quota of sales of its products in China, which has opened up unprecedented prospects for all sectors of industry and agriculture. China is ready to invest 15 billion dollars in the Ukrainian mortgage system. Today, the volume of trade already ranks China in second place on the priority list of Ukrainian foreign trade relations, and Yanukovych has signed an agreement with Beijing which may increase it threefold. Adapted from the source document.
Oganesyan provides a considerable scope for the growth of Russian-British trade. She tackles the growth of immigrants from the Middle Eastern and North Africa countries. She also shares her experience during a conference entitled 'The Arab Spring: Scenarios for the Future,' organized by International Affairs magazine with the support of the Russian Embassy. Adapted from the source document.
Oganesyan interviews former Russian Energy Minister Yuri Shafranik regarding the state of affairs in the Russian energy sector. Among other things, shares his views on the Russian-Ukraine oil and gas relations. Adapted from the source document.
Oganesyan talks about the Ukraine's journey toward the European Union membership. A free country is free to join any alliances is the favorite dictum of the EU and NATO, people all know that this will happen and will happen soon. Zbigniew Brzezinski, however, leaves the Kremlin an alternative: either 'continue to sponsor a thinly veiled military intervention designed to disrupt life in portions of Ukraine' or 'invade Ukraine, exploiting Russia's much larger military potential' and threatens: 'Such an action, however, would not only prompt retaliation by the West but also could provoke Ukrainian resistance.'. Adapted from the source document.
For many years, Germany not merely claimed the role of a butler between the European Union and Russia, the post-Soviet space and Eurasia--it was the buffer. Berlin skillfully diversified its political and economic ambitions in China, Asia and the Middle East; it was treated as an independent power which came third after the US and China where its share in world economy was concerned. Berlin's recent interest in possible contacts with the BRICS countries caused a lot of concern in the White House. Here, Oganesyan comments that no matter how strange it looks today, Ukraine would have been an ideal platform of a new type of cooperation between Germany and Russia and other CIS countries. Adapted from the source document.
Oganesyan interviews Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, regarding Russia's foreign policy. Among other things, Ryabkov details the relationship of US and Russia. Adapted from the source document.
The legacy of former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is examined, focusing specifically on her perception of former USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev and how it influenced her policymaking when it came to UK-Soviet relations. Rather than seeing Gorbachev as a communist ideologue, she viewed Gorbachev as a reformer who would gradually change the facade and very nature of the Soviet system. Adapted from the source document.
In an interview, Alexander Shkurko, president of the State Historical Museum of Russia, discusses the 200th history of the Battle of Borodino in the Patriotic War of 1812. The museum's main achievement was the putting together the Museum of the 1812 Patriotic War. Adapted from the source document.
