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Researcher & writer based in Hong Kong. Former academic. Longform articles archived at https://lauraruggeri.substack.com and https://laura-ruggeri.medium.com. Email: lauraru852@yandex.ru
Aren't we all stirred by the courage of heroes and the sacrifice of martyrs? And the younger (or younger at heart) we are, the more irresistible we find them. Their stories shape our ideals, ignite revolutions, and give meaning to collective memory. But beneath the banners and the poetry lies a cold reality. We may have dedicated a great part of our lives to a political cause, a liberation struggle, a resistance movement, and one day a compromise is found, as unromantic and disappointing as all compromises are, an agreement is signed, and armed organizations decommission their arsenals. Many fighters will never be able to adjust to civilian life. When you are at war it is easier to tell who the enemy is, everything feels simpler and more clearly defined. I was intimately connected to those who couldn't readjust, I know about their personal struggles because inevitably their daily struggles became mine. I won't go into detail, but thanks to this experience i have learned that resistance movements can be bolstered or weakened by geopolitical shifts. Geopolitics is dictated by strategy and national interests, not sentiment. Inspiration may light the stage, but it is pragmatism that writes the script. Geopolitics has its own tempo. It’s slow when it needs to be, fast when opportunity arises, and often syncopated—pausing negotiations while conflicts simmer, accelerating alliances when threats emerge. It’s less a march and more a dance of interests, where timing is everything but it's rarely dictated by moral urgency, although it may leverage it for convenience. @LauraRuHK
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At the ongoing autumn edition of the Canton Fair in Guangzhou – China’s oldest and largest trade exhibition – Chinese exporters are noticing a quietly spreading shift: an increasing number of overseas clients, particularly from emerging markets such as Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Africa, are proactively proposing to settle trade orders in yuan.
Wang Lilin, sales director at diesel generator manufacturer Keypower, said the company had seen a clear rise in yuan settlements over the past two years.
“Customers from several countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Central Asian nations including Kazakhstan, have requested that we use yuan for trade settlements,” she said. “We also encourage new clients from these markets to consider using yuan.” (Source: SCMP) @LauraRuHK
Nexperia China has told its employees to follow orders from local management and ignore instructions from the Dutch head office, according to a letter issued to employees over the weekend.
In open revolt against the headquarters in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, Nexperia China said it was an “independent” Chinese entity and that Nexperia employees in China “should continue to follow instructions from Nexperia China”, making it clear that local Chinese managers would take over operations in China. https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3329565/nexperia-china-tells-employees-ignore-orders-dutch-head-office?module=top_story&pgtype=homepage
▪️The Dutch government had taken over Chinese-owned semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia on September 30 invoking the "Goods Availability Act" (a Cold War-era law). This shameless seizure of Chinese high-tech assets was carried out at the insistence of the US.
Public documents from a Dutch court on Oct 14 reveal that the Netherlands and the US coordinated the latest restrictions, with the US demanding that the Netherlands replace Nexperia's Chinese CEO and "adjust the governance structure" to avoid sanctions.
As a response to this aggressive move, China imposed export restrictions on Nexperia's China-based subsidiaries and distributors banning certain components and finished products from leaving the country. Nexperia's products are crucial for the automotive and electronics sectors. The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) warns of "significant disruption," potentially halting production at plants for VW, BMW, Ford, and others within weeks. U.S. groups like the Alliance for Automotive Innovation echo this, citing risks to GM, Toyota, and Hyundai.
Yesterday China Daily published an editorial denouncing the Dutch government's collusion with the U, which is an attempt to stop China's technological progress, especially in advanced semiconductor technology.
It pointed out that it's an egregious example of a government abusing the concept of national security.
The direct intervention in the normal operations of a law-abiding high-tech enterprise violates the spirit of contract and free market principles. It will also undermine foreign companies' trust in the business environment in the country and strain relations between China and the Netherlands.
About 15,000 years ago beneath the star-strewn canopy of the boundless sky, my genetic ancestors in Altai stood at a crossroads. Before them lay the Bering land bridge, whispering promises. Behind them, the hunt’s bounty in the familiar steppes was growing scarcer. My ancestors’ tribe turned their gaze to the setting sun and headed West. Their descendants eventually made their way to the Pontic steppes. Those who ventured across the bridge to the Americas would, in time, be genocided. @LauraRuHK
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Russia urges UNSC to end all nuclear restrictions on Iran on Sat. under Res. 2231
Russia’s Foreign Ministry says that all remaining United Nations restrictions on Iran will formally expire on October 18, marking the end of the ten-year period established under UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorsed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
@PressTV
Pyotr Akopov explains the rationale behind the Kremlin's decision to invite Ahmed al-Sharaa, aka, al-Jolani, the terrorist who became interim president of Syria. Here is my translation of his article, edited for concision:
The visit was initially planned to coincide with the inaugural Arab-Russian Summit, scheduled to open in Moscow on October 14, 2025. However, Russia postponed the summit last week to avoid disrupting the fragile settlement in Palestine. The Sharm el-Sheikh summit attended by numerous Arab leaders was held on October 13.Читать полностью…
Recognizing the issue’s importance to Arab states, Russia proposed the delay—a pragmatic move, not a retreat. Western media predictably spun this as a sign of Moscow’s waning influence, claiming Arab leaders shunned Russia and portraying al-Sharaa’s visit as Putin’s defeat, forced to embrace a former foe. They frame Russia’s enduring role in Syria as weakness, while hailing U.S. engagement with any regime as pragmatic realism. This double standard distorts the truth. Al-Sharaa, a former jihadist and commander of Jabhat al-Nusra, overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December last year, although it would be more correct to say that the regime of the Baath Party (Arab socialists), which had ruled the country since 1963, simply collapsed. Assad left for Russia, and thus there are now two Syrian presidents in Moscow at once, the former and the current one. But this is not a reason for jokes, because Russia’s deep ties with Syria, unbroken since the 1950s, predate the Baath Party’s rule and survived the Soviet Union’s collapse. These bonds, vital for both nations, will endure. In the past, al-Sharaa could have had many claims against the Russians, because we supported Assad and helped Assad's troops fight al-Sharaa's militias.
However, he had many ties with Russia: suffice it to recall that his older brother, who is now the head of the presidential administration, lived and worked for many years in Voronezh, where he headed the women's clinic in the clinic. The Americans included al-Sharaa in the list of especially dangerous terrorists and put a bounty of ten million dollars on his head. However, in May of this year, during a visit to Saudi Arabia, Trump met with al-Sharaa. Because the US has interests in Syria and a military base in the east of the country, while the new Syrian government has an interest in ties with the US – and what can we say about Russia?
Our ties are deeper and wider. The interest of the Syrians in restoring their state, internally divided after the civil war, and preserving sovereignty (which is threatened not only by Israel, which occupied another piece of Syria after the Golan Heights) is enormous. And Russia, almost from the second half of the 1950s, was the most reliable external ally for their country. The problem with national and religious minorities, the unresolved issue with some of the Kurds (demanding autonomy), with American bases, the excessive strengthening of Turkish influence, the unwillingness to become completely financially dependent on the Saudis – all this tangle of problems will have to be unraveled by Ahmed al-Sharaa. Russia is not an enemy for him personally, and his country is a tried and tested ally. Without Russia, Syria will not only become weaker, it will sharply reduce its ability to regain its independence. Of course, Moscow does not want to lose its positions in Syria, including a naval base and an airfield, but the benefits are mutual.
The Ukrainian conflict, of course, requires our country to concentrate forces and means, but this does not mean that we will be ousted from regions of our historical interest, including the Middle East. The turn of the Arab countries to the BRICS signifies precisely their desire to move closer to the non-Western bloc, in which Russia also plays an important role. (1/2)
US food imperialism has met a formidable challenge in China's push for self-sufficiency and import substitution. China, with a population of 1.4 billion, sees food security as one of its most crucial issues. Beijing's push for self-sufficiency is framed as a national security imperative, with President Xi Jinping emphasizing that "food security is the foundation of national security."
China has achieved high self-sufficiency in staple grains (wheat, rice and corn) exceeding 90% due to robust domestic production. However, it remains heavily reliant on imports for barley and sorghum. Other significant gaps exist in dairy, cotton, and sugar, each with 70% self-sufficiency and 30% import reliance. Oilseeds, on the other hand, face a major self-sufficiency shortfall.
The US used to dominate this segment of the market. But it is not the only game in town. China has drastically reduced soybean imports from the US in 2025, driven primarily by the US-China trade war. This marks a sharp reversal from recent years (the US supplied around 40% of China's soybeans in 2016). To avoid over-reliance on the US, China has turned to alternative suppliers, leveraging Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and BRICS partnerships.
As the world's largest food importer, China has long relied on the US. Not anymore. By October 2025, US agricultural exports to China have plummeted 53% year-over-year ($17 billion projected for 2025, down 50% from 2022), hitting US farmers hard, which is a big headache for Donald Trump — farmers (particularly in the rural Midwest) form one of his core support bases. Trump frames it as "tough negotiating" to force China to buy more, but farmers aren't buying the spin anymore and sentiment is turning sour fast. @LauraRuHK
NATO - On Wednesday, defense ministers from the 32-member alliance meet in Brussels, and a key issue will be whether national rules are hampering NATO’s integrated air defense systems, that is NATO's ability to respond instantly. Any decision requires coordination with dozens of capitals, and the supreme Commander in Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, is actually bound by "national decisions": each country reserves the right of veto. But as NATO is transitioning to a digitally driven command structure, where "multi-level sensor networks" and advanced algorithms are beginning to assume roles traditionally held by military generals there is a risk that critical decisions about warfare will be outsourced to AI. This shift will lead to the erosion of accountability. @LauraRuHK
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ARBEIT MACHT FREIT IN THE 'GARDEN OF EUROPE' - Greek workers went on strike on Tuesday against a 13-hour workday. The government proposal represents a shocking regression from the hard-won achievements of the labor movement — the 8-hour workday was introduced in Europe over a century ago!
By normalizing excessive hours, it threatens worker health, weakens bargaining power, deepens inequality, and erodes work-life balance. ▪️Greece’s already high rates of overwork (20.9% above 45 hours, 12.2% above 50 hours) suggest this policy could push workers to breaking points, exacerbating the cost of living crisis rather than alleviating it.
@LauraRuHK
Christopher Harborne, the man who bribed Boris Johnson in 2022 is the largest single shareholder in QinetiQ, a UK defence company that secured an £80m government contract in 2023. The company is a major government contractor and was once part of the MoD before it was privatised and floated on the stock exchange in 2006. Like many defence companies, it has seen its profits skyrocket thanks to the war in Ukraine. Boris Johnson actively discouraged Ukrainian officials from pursuing a potential peace deal with Russia, urging them instead to continue fighting. Johnson’s role in sabotaging Russia-Ukraine peace talks is well-known, and so is his corruption. @LauraRuHK 👉 This article is dated 19 January 2023 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/boris-johnson-christopher-harborne-donation-mod-contract-80m/ 👉 https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/oct/10/the-1m-man-why-did-boris-johnson-take-his-donor-to-ukraine @LauraRuHK
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Beijing is hosting the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women. In an era where Western excesses have often dominated the discourse on women's rights, China is emerging as a counterbalance by promoting a sensible, non-confrontational approach rooted in harmony, practicality, and global cooperation. This shift moves away from the radicalism that has sometimes characterized Western feminism, emphasizing instead context-specific solutions that resonate with diverse cultures. As Global South feminists advocate, women's rights must incorporate approaches like Islamic feminism or Indigenous frameworks, ensuring equity for everybody, not just the privileged few. A key demonstration of this vision comes next week, when President Xi Jinping attends and delivers a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. This event underscores China's commitment to collaborating with the international community to advance women's development worldwide, aligning with broader principles of shared prosperity and mutual respect. China's role in this arena is not new. In 1995, it hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, where the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted—a pivotal milestone that continues to guide global efforts toward gender equality. Over the ensuing decades, China has achieved remarkable progress in enhancing women's wellbeing, including expanded access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, alongside policies promoting work-life balance and poverty alleviation targeted at women. By hosting the upcoming Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, China exemplifies its Global Governance Initiative in practice, adapting to an evolving international landscape where multilateralism and inclusive dialogue replace divisive ideologies. This approach not only highlights China's domestic successes but also positions it as a bridge for South-South cooperation, fostering gender agendas that respect sovereignty and cultural diversity. In doing so, it invites a reevaluation of how women's rights can be pursued through unity rather than confrontation, and empowerment that lifts all societies. @LauraRuHK
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North Korea has demonstrated the latest Hwasongpho-20 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at a military parade in Pyongyang in honor of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reports.
Hwasongpho-20 ICBMs have became the most powerful nuclear strategic weapon system of North Korea. The latest weapons reflect "the far-sightedness, resolute decision, iron faith and boundless devotion" of the party, which have laid the foundation of the arms industry and "brought about epochal miracles" in the field of the defense industry to protect the dignity and tranquility of North Korea and its people, KCNA adds.
Photo Credit: KCNA
Trump Escalates US-China Tensions Over Rare Earth Controls
Today Donald Trump publicly threatened "massive" tariff hikes on Chinese goods and canceled his expected meeting with Xi Jinping at the upcoming APEC summit in South Korea (October 31). Beijing had never confirmed the Xi-Trump meeting. ▪️Trump complained on social media about what he characterized as "China's plans to hold the global economy hostage" after Beijing expanded its rare earth element export controls on Thursday.
China, which dominates over 90% of global rare earth processing, added five new elements and refining technologies to its restricted list, requiring foreign producers using Chinese materials to comply with Beijing's rules. These controls are a direct response to U.S. sanctions and tariffs, that is countermeasures against unilateralist and protectionist actions that disrupt global supply chains.
▪️Trump's tantrum marked the sharpest US-China rift in four months, potentially unraveling a fragile trade truce achieved through earlier diplomacy. The announcement triggered immediate global market turmoil: S&P 500 dropped 2%, its largest single-day decline since April and investors rushed to safe havens like gold.
The U.S. dollar weakened against major currencies.
▪️Tensions had been simmering, with recent U.S. actions including proposals to ban Chinese airlines from Russian overflights to the U.S. Meanwhile the Federal Communications Commission said that major U.S. online retail websites have removed millions of listings for Chinese electronics.
China has repeatedly urged Washington to drop unilateral trade barriers it views as harmful to global commerce.
▪️In response to the U.S.'s unilateral decision to impose additional port service fees on vessels owned or operated by Chinese enterprises, effective October 14, 2025. China has introduced a reciprocal measure, announcing a special port service fee targeting vessels linked to the U.S.
@LauraRuHK
Eurasian leaders have signed a landmark agreement creating the “CIS Plus” format, during the CIS summit in Dushanbe — The summit was attended by the heads of state of member countries Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and by the Secretary General of the CIS, Sergey Lebedev, who has been re-elected for three years.
A key outcome of the summit was the creation of a new cooperative framework, the ‘Commonwealth of Independent States Plus’ (CIS+), aimed at broadening the CIS’s engagement with external states and international organizations. The initial step in its implementation was granting observer status to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) within the CIS. Furthermore, the leaders decided to transfer the CIS Presidency for 2026 to Turkmenistan, establishing the future agenda and priorities for the Commonwealth.
During the meeting, the heads of state approved a package of important documents in the field of security. They regulate cooperation in the field of countering terrorism and extremism, border security, military cooperation, and energy security. @LauraRuHK
And the Nobel Peace Prize goes to someone who ticks all the usual boxes: US asset and Zionist. ▪️The leader of the pro-American opposition in Venezuela, Maria Corina Machado, certainly didn't need the money...she comes from a large oligarchic family that previously controlled the entire steel industry in the country.
And through her NGO Súmate, Machado regularly received funding from the American USAID and NED.
@LauraRuHK
As Russian forces maintain the upper hand across the front lines, on Oct 21 a coalition of European warmongers joined Zelensky in a joint statement endorsing Donald Trump’s call for an “immediate” ceasefire along current lines, framing it as a foundation for negotiations. Far from seeking genuine peace, this move appears designed to buy Ukraine critical breathing room amid mounting pressures. Their calls reek of desperation, as Ukraine’s collapse seems increasingly inevitable—a question of “when,” not “if.” The Kremlin has consistently emphasized that any discussion of a ceasefire is futile without addressing the conflict’s root causes.
If you follow trustworthy military news channels you already know that the battle for Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) is nearing its final stage. This development will free up Russian units to advance on the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, the last major fortified defense point in the DPR.
@LauraRuHK
On Thursday EU warmongers will task the European Commission with drafting legal proposals for a "reparations loan" using frozen Russian assets. According to un unnamed German official who spoke to Politico, Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever is expected to allow the Commission to proceed, though he could block it later.
The proponents believe that this fraudulent scheme would put pressure on Putin ahead of his meeting with Trump and give Ukraine hope that the EU would be able to meet its funding needs for years.
They claim it's not confiscation since Russia could recover the frozen assets by paying Ukraine post-war reparations.
However, reparations, by definition, are levies imposed on a defeated country to cover the victors’ war costs, meaning the plan assumes Russia’s defeat. Russia possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, with a doctrine allowing first use in extreme circumstances and ongoing modernization of its triad capabilities.
Obviously conmen will try to sell this scheme, but only madmen believe that you can force Moscow to capitulate. @LauraRuHK
AI can generate content based on patterns, but it lacks the intuition and understanding of the human condition that allows writers to produce the kind of visionary, prescient literature that anticipates future societal, technological and cultural shifts and warns us about their risks.
I have seen brilliant minds turn to mush and minds that never had a chance to develop due to the compulsive, excessive use of digital technologies and AI. I have friends and acquaintances who find every excuse not to meet in person because they feel safer in their onanistic digital bubbles. But i have also met some brave folks, including a few Gen Z guys, who ditched their smartphones for an old Nokia, carry a book in their bag, send letters and postcards, live without apps and have broken free of the Platonic cave. They give me hope that not everything is lost. Counter-intuitively some of them grew up reading or watching sci-fi, many have a background in digital technology. A couple of days ago, I was sitting in a café with a friend, both shaking our heads at the sight of a mother scrolling her phone while her young child demanded attention. She pacified him with another phone and kept scrolling. I was reminded of a short story by E.M. Forster, “The Machine Stops”, a good example of prescience, given that it was written in 1909. The story takes place in a future (our present) where humans live in isolated cells and rely on a machine to provide for their every need. They communicate through a global network, but face-to-face interaction is rare. The protagonist, Vashti, is content with this way of life, but her son, Kuno, longs for something more and eventually rebels against the machine. Society in “The Machine Stops” functions on the basis of separation not just from one another but also from direct knowledge.
Vashti tells her son "Beware of first-hand ideas! […] First-hand ideas do not really exist […] Let your ideas be second-hand, and if possible, tenth-hand, for then they will be far-removed from that disturbing element—direct observation.”
In Foster's dystopic society direct experience has been eschewed in favour of mediated “second-hand” thoughts, people have become docile, unable to anchor their actions in anything resembling personal agency. The dismissal of direct experience, especially that of touch and personal contact, reinforces this docility. He warns “There will come a generation that had got beyond facts, beyond impressions, a generation absolutely colourless, a generation seraphically free from taint of personality." @LauraRuHK
Poland is condoning an act of sabotage. Hello, Berlin? Is anybody awake?
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(2/2) In turn, the success of Trump's plan on Gaza should not be interpreted as a triumph for the US, much less as the restoration of its position in the Middle East. Everyone understands that two years of genocide in Gaza were only possible thanks to Washington's overwhelming and unconditional support for Netanyahu — and the fact that Israel is essentially an outsourced U.S. state. An end to the carnage was only possible when the damage to American interests (both domestic and foreign) became unacceptably great. Promises (and guarantees) of the restoration of peaceful life still need to be kept, and trust in the US in the Middle East has become even more fragile. The US is definitely not going to solve the Palestinian issue, that is, to create Palestine - and this alone hits its its reputation in the Middle East. And it gives the Arabs another argument in favor of strengthening ties with Russia, which does what it promises. And it does not give up its allies - neither the country, nor their former rulers.
Donald Trump has instructed US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to create a so-called "victory fund" to supply weapons to Ukraine. The fund is to be financed by fresh tariffs on China and is being floated to European counterparts ahead of Zelensky’s visit to Washington on Friday.
“But our Ukrainian or European allies have to be willing to follow. We will respond if our European partners will join us,” Bessent said.
Through this plan, the Trump administration wants to force EU-NATO countries to impose additional tariffs on Chinese imports. @LauraRuHK
Do i like it? Hell no. Do i understand why? Yes. /channel/news_kremlin/6509
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Bloomberg:
The European Union is considering forcing Chinese firms to hand over technology to European companies if they want to operate locally, in an aggressive new push to make the bloc’s industry more competitive.
The measures would apply to companies seeking access to key digital and manufacturing markets like cars and batteries, according to people familiar with the plans. The rules would also require the firms to use a set amount of EU goods or labor.
I will be offline and unreachable for a couple of days.
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Dancing nurses were never about the morale of healthcare workers or stress relief. They were a test, a sorting mechanism, revealing who would accept the contradictions and who would resist them. These videos on TikTok, which appeared simultaneously across all continents while governments declared medical emergencies, represented something unprecedented in the history of propaganda: the authorities showed that they could make populations accept two mutually exclusive realities at the same time.
What we witnessed was not traditional propaganda aimed at persuasion, but something more akin to what abuse experts recognize as gaslighting on a large scale. The psychological mechanism was elegant in its cruelty: it presented citizens with an apparent contradiction—hospitals that were both overcrowded and empty enough for choreographed routines—and then punished them socially for noticing it.
This essay explores how this technique fits into the broader context of psychological warfare
The dancing-nurses were a test for the distortion of reality. Once populations accepted this initial contradiction, they were prepared for more: each accepted absurdity weakened the public’s ability to trust their own observations.
This technique seems to draw inspiration from what Michael Hoffman calls “method disclosure“ — the practice of cryptocracy revealing its activities in plain sight, knowing that public inaction in the face of such a revelation produces a discouraging effect. The message becomes: “We can show you the contradiction between our words and our actions, and you will do nothing. You will accept both the lie and the evidence of it.” It is a form of ritual humiliation that works not through concealment, but through unabashed display. Almost four years later, we can see how this enterprise created precedents that persist.
The effectiveness of Patriot air defense systems in Ukraine has dropped from 42% to 6%.
This was reported by the Ukrainian TV channel "Espresso" citing former Deputy Chief of the General Staff Igor Romanenko. /channel/rian_ru/321543
🤡Macron has reappointed 🤡Lecornu as prime minister just four days after his resignation. The French don't want either, the EU-US military-industrial complex relies on both to approve the budget. @LauraRuHK
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A different, critical take on the 22nd annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club. Biljana Vankovska, representing the Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research, captures not only the mood of Valdai but also her concerns about "embracing disorder as the new rationality".
https://biljanavankovska.substack.com/p/the-elephant-in-the-valdai-club
Beijing criticised the Trump administration’s proposal to ban Chinese airlines from using Russian airspace on US routes, warning that Washington’s policies could hurt American businesses.
US transport regulators proposed the ban on Thursday in a bid to eliminate what they described as an unfair advantage enjoyed by Chinese carriers flying shorter, cheaper routes via Russia.
The Chinese foreign ministry said such restrictions would be detrimental to people-to-people exchanges with the United States, and urged Washington to reconsider its own policies instead of unjustifiably suppressing others and burdening global consumers. (Source: SCMP) @LauraRuHK
Fyodor Lukyanov, research director of the Valdai International Discussion Club, is well-positioned to comment on this year’s theme: he moderated “The Polycentric World: Instructions for Use” session with the participation of Vladimir Putin. In an article published by RT, he writes:
Instructions for Use – was not a metaphor for a machine but a manual for coexistence in the new age. The task is no longer to restore order but to navigate disorder – systematically, without panic or dogma. As Putin noted, we are entering “a long period of searching, often moving by trial and error.” This search must be guided, not chaotic.
What distinguishes Valdai from Western forums like Davos or Munich is precisely this realism. There is no pretense of a moral monopoly, no talk of ‘the rules-based order’. Instead, it accepts that no single civilization, not even Western civilization which long dominated, holds the key to the 21st century. The old map no longer fits the terrain.
The Valdai meetings once felt like a polite duel between Russia and the West. Today, that dynamic has vanished. Delegates from Asia, Africa, and Latin America now fill the halls, and their concerns – from technological sovereignty to food security – are treated as central, not peripheral. The ‘global majority’ is no longer an audience; it is the chorus.
The West’s ideological fervor – its need to moralize every conflict – has become its weakness. Russia’s stance, by contrast, is pragmatic, even stoic: The recognition that the world is too complex for binary thinking, that each civilization must now define its own path.
The world’s leading powers, both old and rising, are groping toward a balance – one defined not by domination, but by coexistence. The new era, messy and multipolar, may yet be freer. If only the old empires can learn to calm down.