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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
MOLDOVA - A court in Chisinau has sentenced Evghenia Gutsul, the head of Moldova’s Gagauz Autonomous Region, to seven years in prison on charges related to financing the opposition party Shor.
Her supporters staged a protest.
Police cordoned off the court building and did not let Gutsul’s husband accompany her, angering her supporters. They tried unsuccessfully to break through the police cordon but retreated when the police agreed to let Gutsul’s family in. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK
The new reality needs no rhetorical embellishments. It is what it is.
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UK plans false-flag maritime disasters - Russian intel
London is preparing a NATO-backed campaign targeting tankers transporting Russian oil, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) says.
The plan hinges on staging a high-profile “incident” to justify action.
Scenario 1: A “deliberately caused accident” in a key maritime chokepoint, leading to an oil spill and blocked shipping lanes. NATO would then use “emergency safety checks” to seize or detain targeted vessels.
Scenario 2: A planned fire on a tanker during loading in a pro-Russian port, sparking a large-scale blaze damaging port infrastructure and other ships, prompting an international probe.
SVR says the UK intends to assign these anti-Russian sabotage attacks to Ukrainian operatives, counting on their “dirty work” and inability to cover their tracks as a shield of deniability. In the end, blame could be pinned on Russia – or, at worst, Ukraine, as with the Nord Stream sabotage.
London also plans to time the attack to maximize media impact and pressure the Trump administration into imposing harsh secondary sanctions on Russian energy buyers. (Source: Sputnik) @LauraRuHK
An interesting contribution to the debate about the security architecture of Eurasia comes from Maxim Ryzhenkov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus. https://eng.globalaffairs.ru/articles/eurasia-multipolarity-ryzhenkov/
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TikTok appointed Erica Mindel, a former instructor in the Israeli occupation forces, as its new Public Policy Manager for Hate Speech, which raises serious concerns about the platform’s objectivity in moderating political content.
Mindel, who describes herself as a “proud” American Jew, assumed the role in July 2025 and is now responsible for shaping TikTok’s global policies on hate speech, particularly concerning antisemitism.
Her background includes work under the Biden administration with the State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, as well as advocacy for "Israel" at the American Jewish Committee.
Given her affiliations and military background, her appointment risks blurring the line between protecting communities from genuine hate and silencing political criticism of "Israel".
A Syrian-Israeli ministerial meeting is set to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer in attendance, a diplomat tells AFP.
The diplomat, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, says the meeting will focus on “the security situation, particularly in southern Syria.”
This comes on the heels of a similar meeting between the two ministers in Paris last week, another meeting between Syrian and Israeli officials that took place in Baku on July 12 during Ahmed al-Sharaa (al-Julan) official visit, and after Shaibani’s visit to Moscow on Thursday. @LauraRuHK
A big thank you to all those who have read, commented, shared or re-published my latest article. Research takes time and effort, your support makes all the difference. https://lauraruggeri.substack.com/p/azerbaijan-a-pawn-on-the-wests-chessboard
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The Russian military launched an Iskander missile attack on the training center of the Ukrainian armed forces in Ukraine’s Chernigov (Chernihiv) Region, eliminating and injuring about 200 troops, the Defense Ministry says. How will Western media spin it? Will they claim it was a culinary school, a sports centre, an arts, crafts and design institute? /channel/rian_ru/307495
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The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) reported that US and British representatives held a meeting in the Alps with Yermak, Budanov, and Zaluzhny to discuss replacing Zelensky. The SVR claims the US and UK proposed Zaluzhny as Ukraine’s next president, and Yermak and Budanov accepted the decision.
Earlier, American journalist Seymour Hersh had said that Zaluzhny had been selected to replace the head of the Kiev regime. He noted that the decision on the fate of Zelensky is in Trump's hands. (Source: Vesti.ru) @LauraRuHK https://www.vesti.ru/article/4618148
In The Grand Chessboard, Zbigniew Brzezinski, a major influence on U.S. foreign policy, referred to Azerbaijan as “the vitally important 'cork' in the bottle containing the riches of the Caspian Sea basin and Central Asia.” His metaphor, laden with imperialist undertones, vividly captures Azerbaijan’s strategic value as a gateway to vast energy and mineral resources. At the time of the book’s publication in 1997, Azerbaijan’s potential as a major gas and oil producer was already well-known (the Baku oil boom started in the 1870s, when the country was part of the Tsarist empire). Its importance as an energy corridor and critical node in global trade emerged later, but it was already clear that the West would seek to leverage Azerbaijan’s position not only to gain an edge in energy and trade, but also to extend its reach in the region in an attempt to undermine Russian security and interests. 👉 Read more in my latest article https://lauraruggeri.substack.com/p/azerbaijan-a-pawn-on-the-wests-chessboard, https://strategic-culture.su/news/2025/07/28/azerbaijan-a-pawn-on-the-wests-chessboard/
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Weekend Challenge. A few days ago I finished a very long article about the West's shenanigans in a country described by Zbigniew Brzezinski as the 'cork' in the bottle containing the riches of the Caspian Sea basin and Central Asia. It will be published next week, but in the meantime it can be found on one of the platforms where I usually archive my work. Since it's a challenge, I won't tell you which. 😎
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Taiwan - Spot the difference 🔺Pro-DPP media and netizens claim the first picture represents one of their demonstrations. 🔺Pro-KMT media and netizens claim the second picture represents one of their demonstrations. Read more 👉/channel/LauraRuHK/10329
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Zelensky's strategic defeat
The president has introduced a bill that effectively nullifies all changes to the laws on anti-corruption agencies which were adopted by the Rada on Tuesday and signed by Zelensky himself.
SAPO and NABU are once again becoming independent from the Prosecutor General (i.e. from the government)
By the way, NABU has already approved the bill.
In general, Zelensky has completely "backed down." /channel/golosmordora1/48273 And this is his heaviest strategic, and political defeat since taking office as president.
First, he signed amendments to the law, then he himself canceled them after pressure from the street and the West.
Zelensky was under very strong pressure from the Europeans, they even threatened to cut off funding (Zelensky's main calculation was a soft reaction from Europe. He was wrong). Plus, the authorities were scared by the protests, even though they were not massive.
Therefore, the president decided to back down.
Such a rollback could actually mean Zelensky's gradual loss of control over the power vertical. Especially if he fires Yermak, making him a "scapegoat" (which many are already pushing the president to do).
(Source: News Front/ukroSMI) @LauraRuHK
A CIA officer's transition from the dirty "Global War on Terror" to the dirty "Great Power Competition with China." According to Jack Poulson, last September the U.S. Embassy in Manila rented an apartment at the Raffles Makati luxury hotel for $106,631 to house RA OFFICER PETER ENZMINGER. During the so-called War on Terror, Enzminger led the CIA’s Amman station under cover as a Regional Affairs Officer, was chief of the political section of U.S. Embassy Djibouti, acting as political / military chief for the nearby U.S. Embassy Sana’a, which closed in 2015. A June 2010 report published by the U.S. State Department’s Office of Inspector General further names “Peter R. Enzminger” as chief of the political / military section of U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi in August 2007.
@LauraRuHK
https://substack.com/home/post/p-168981656
Anduril, the AI-powered defense startup backed by Palantir's Peter Thiel, is best known for its relatively cheap drones and autonomous lookout towers that track targets using radar and cameras. Its flagship software product, Lattice, integrates multiple data sources into a single point of view and can be used to “accelerate the closing of complex kill chains,” according to the company’s website. Anduril has benefitted from military tactics deployed in Ukraine, where drones have accounted for more than two thirds of battlefield casualties. “Ukraine is key because not only is it contributing to all of Europe doubling down on defense, but drone companies, software companies… they’re testing their equipment in Ukraine.” The company has secured over $2 billion worth of contracts with the U.S. government, and after building a powerful network in the U.K. its sights are now set on a European expansion. POLITICO explains how Anduril achieved its expansion into the U.K. with a massive PR operation, winning influential supporters and government contracts worth tens of millions. @LauraRuHK https://www.politico.eu/article/ai-weapons-for-westminster-defense-disruptor-anduril-trains-its-sights-on-the-uk/
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Edi Rama, the Prime Minister of Albania, is one of the rare people who attended both Alex Soros' wedding in June 2025 and George Soros' wedding in 2013. The major achievements of this darling of Open Society Foundations and Davos WEF are: privatization on steroids that even exceeded IMF demands, repatriation camps for immigrants, a new NATO base, provision of safety guarantees for narcos, human-traffickers and money launderers. Edi Rama's latest task is to turn Albania into a testing ground for the dystopia of a cashless society. Since organized crime receives a preferential treatment, users of crypto have nothing to worry about. @LauraRuHK https://www.politico.eu/article/edi-rama-albania-cashless-economy/
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Colonel Edward Blake and Lieutenant Colonel Richard Carroll were detained during a Russian special forces operation in the coastal town of Ochakov, in Southern Ukraine. The UK Ministry of Defence claimed the two officers were "private citizens visiting historical battle sites." 😂 A third British national, allegedly an MI6 officer involved in cyber operations, was also detained during the operation. Read more 👉/channel/LauraRuHK/10350
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The authority overseeing Egypt’s Suez Canal is seeking to sign a partnership deal with Russia, RIA Novosti has reported. The two countries are already working together on a major industrial project in the area.
Osama Rabie, chairman and managing director of the Suez Canal Authority, told RIA on Monday that Russia currently has no direct partnership with the canal itself – only with the Suez Canal Economic Zone in eastern Port Said.
“We hope for such a [partnership] agreement,” he said when asked about cooperation with Moscow.
In 2018, Russia and Egypt signed a deal to establish a Russian industrial zone on a 5.25 million-square-meter site, to be developed over 13 years. Dubbed ‘Sun City,’ the project will provide Russian manufacturers with access to markets in Egypt, the Middle East, and Africa.
Industries expected to operate in the zone include automotive, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, mining, and nuclear technology. Egyptian officials say the venture will create 35,000 jobs and attract around $4.6 billion in investment. Businesses will benefit from preferential tax policies.
In May, Egypt and Russia held an intergovernmental commission on trade and cooperation in Moscow, where both sides reaffirmed the importance of the project as a way to boost industrial ties.
Egypt was one of four nations – along with Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia – that became full BRICS members in 2024. BRICS was originally formed in 2006 as an economic group between Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining four years later. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, BRICS has already surpassed the Western-led G7 in terms of combined GDP.
The Suez Canal remains a vital artery of global trade, carrying an estimated 12-15% of total cargo, 30% of container traffic, 9% of seaborne oil, and 8% of LNG. (Source: RT) @LauraRuHK
UK mercs involved in Ukrainian military’s botched landing on Tendra Spit
The British hirelings unsuccessfully tried to enter the Tendra Spit in the Kherson region, a source in the Russian security forces told Sputnik.
The mercenaries were stationed and trained in the town of Ochakov, the source added.
What’s known about the botched operation:
▪️Russian forces thwarted an attempt by Ukrainian troops to take control of the Tendra Spit on July 28
▪️The enemy suffered significant losses
▪️Subsequently, a powerful strike hit the port of Ochakov in the Nikolayev region – the launch point for the Ukrainian amphibious forces
▪️Enemy activity was also detected near the Kinburn Spit
The Ukrainian military’s goal was to create a hype “without any real benefit," Kherson region governor Vladimir Saldo stressed. (Source: Sputnik) @LauraRuHK
Trump announced a higher 39% tariff on Swiss imports to the United States. Only Syria at 41%, Laos and Myanmar at 40% face higher tariffs. There will be negotiations, but it's clear that tariffs are a tool to extract broader commitments, such as increased Swiss investment in the U.S. particularly in research, development and manufacturing. Switzerland is a global leader in biotech R&D.
On the geopolitical level, the proposed tariffs also serve as a signal to align more closely with Washington especially in strategic sectors like biotech and high-tech where Switzerland and China cooperate quite successfully. @LauraRuHK
TAIWAN - US-puppet Lai Ching-te and the DPP are blocking Kuomintang veterans who fought in the war against Japanese aggression, from travelling to Beijing to participate in the commemorations that will be held on September 3. That day China will hold a military parade in Tian'anmen Square to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Taiwan's ruling party also refused to hold commemorative events.
The Global Times writes:
"On the issue of wartime history, the DPP has long pushed for "de-Sinicization," deliberately obscuring and distorting Taiwan's historical role in the war, and forcibly severing the deep-rooted blood ties between the residents of Taiwan and the Chinese nation. They seek to make the younger generation forget the sacrifices of their forebears and to detach Taiwan society from its historical identity as part of the Chinese nation. Such shameless manipulation is not only a grave betrayal of historical truth but also a disgraceful insult to the martyrs who gave their lives in the war."
🇨🇳🇷🇺🇺🇸China will be guided by its own interests in its energy security policy, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun, commenting on US threats to impose secondary sanctions against Russian energy carriers.
"China will take reasonable energy security measures based on its national interests. There are no winners in the tariff war, and coercion and pressure will not solve the problems," he said at a briefing.
At the end of June, the diplomat made a similar statement in response to Donald Trump's hope that Beijing will start buying oil from the US.
Russia for several years in a row has been a major supplier of crude oil to China: According to official statistics, China imported 107 million tons of oil from Russia in 2023. At the end of 2024, Beijing purchased from Moscow 108.47 million tons of oil for $62.425 billion.
The day before, Trump said that he was reducing the 50-day period he had previously set for reaching a truce between Russia and Ukraine to ten days. If the negotiations fail, he plans to impose import duties, sanctions or "something else." At the same time, the American leader admitted that he was not sure these restrictions would work. (Source: RIA Novosti) @LauraRuHK
On 21 July President Putin signed a decree http://publication.pravo.gov.ru/document/0001202507210007 that could have very important ramifications. All foreign tankers must now obtain clearance from the FSB before entering Russian ports. Understandably Russia is concerned about security, for instance both the port of Novorossiysk, in the Black Sea, and Ust-Luga in the Baltic Sea, are located near military bases of the Russian Navy. But the decree also sent an indirect message to the EU after it approved the 18th package of sanctions. Last week, due to stricter controls, the shipment of Kazakh oil from Novorossiysk was temporarily delayed, that is about two percent of global oil supplies were suspended for a day. The port of Ust-Luga is vital to coal exports from Kazakhstan, 38.5% of which is received by EU countries. New requirements for ship owners include securing Russian insurance with a minimum coverage of $1 billion and passing mandatory underwater inspections — at their own expense. @LauraRuHK
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Ursula agreed to buy $750B in US gas. Most analysts believe that this figure is completely unrealistic. The EU spent €375 billion on energy imports last year, including €76 billion from the U.S. Unless demand and/or prices suddenly skyrocket this quota won't be met. The EU would have to triple its American imports over the next three years — in the process shunning other providers, such as Norway, Qatar, Azerbaijan etc. Pretty difficult, not only because of existing contracts but also because the EU would be alienating countries it wants on its side. At the same time, the U.S. only sent $166 billion in oil and gas abroad last year, meaning it would have to divert all its exports to the EU — and then some. That’s “just never going to happen,” said Laura Page, a senior analyst at the Kpler commodities firm, quoted by Politico. U.S. LNG exports are not tied to a single destination and usually go to the highest bidder worldwide.
A senior Commission official also stated that the deal would be contingent upon specific “circumstances,” such as sufficient LNG infrastructure in Europe and “shipping capacity on the U.S. side.”
Another challenge is how Brussels would facilitate those purchases, given that it plays no role in buying cargoes itself.
The Commission official said the target “is not something that the EU as a public authority can guarantee,” but is rather “something which is based on the intentions of private companies.”
And so far, firms don’t see the economic rationale.
“The EU is not a company,” said one gas specialist at a prominent energy trading house. “Will they force EU companies to buy gas and oil from the U.S.?”
“If there is a commercial rationale behind [this], companies will do it — otherwise [it’s] obviously only hot air.” (Source: Politico) @LauraRuHK https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-trade-war-donald-trump-us-oil-gas-energy/
The EU just accepted a trade deal where the US imposes 15% tariffs on most EU goods, keeps 50% on steel and aluminium, the EU commits to buying $750B in US gas and investing $600B in the US. The EU drops tariffs on US goods.
Just don't call it a deal. It's a complete surrender to US interests. Which is hardly surprising when you look at the profile of Ursula's advisers. Bjoern Seibert and Tomas Baert. @LauraRuHK
⚡️Taiwan - Not a single KMT legislator has been recalled! ▪️The DPP administration led by Lai Ching-te will continue to face difficulty in implementing the divisive, anti-China agenda imposed by Washington, which includes an increase in military spending. @LauraRuHK
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In Taiwan political polarization is intensifying, with the opposition KMT and the ruling DPP each accusing the other of paralyzing the activity of institutions such as the legislature and the Supreme Court, and blaming the other party for destroying social cohesion. To secure control of the Legislative Yuan and advance its legislative agenda, the ruling DPP has initiated a series of recall elections targeting opposition MPs. The KMT, which maintains a de facto majority through its alliance with the Taiwan People’s Party denounced this move as anti-democratic.
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets. Some demand the recall of KMT legislators, other protesters oppose their recall. A vote on the recall will be held on Saturday 26. Regardless of its result, it's clear that Taiwan is not the shining beacon of democracy the West has been supporting and touting. If elected legislators are forced to step down, people who voted for the KMT will feel robbed of their votes and confidence in political institutions will be further eroded. If they keep their seats, they will continue to hobble the power of the executive and block the defense budget. In the last presidential elections held in January the ruling party, the secessionist DPP, lost control of parliament which hampers its ability to pass legislation and spending bills. @LauraRuHK
Kakha Kaladze, the mayor of Tbilisi, said that if it were up to him, he would expel the EU ambassador from Georgia.
Earlier the "diplomat" representing the EU in the country, Pawel Herczynski, had stated that the only way for Georgia to return to the path of European integration is to "stop repression, release those unjustly detained and repeal a number of laws".
"If he really made such a statement, he should be kicked out of the country. If it were up to me, I would have sent him away, because, first of all, we need to respect the Georgian statehood. The ambassador has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the country, fuelling confrontation and polarization. He should refrain from statements that are steeped in lies and incite extremism," Kakha Kaladze said. (Source: Sputnik Georgia) @LauraRuHK
I fully agree with Professor Sergei Karaganov and support his vision. And not only because of my love for Siberia and Siberian ancestry. ▪️In his recent article he returns to, and expands on, his call for Russia's Eastern Turn. In order to take advantage of emerging opportunities and to fend off new threats, Russia needs a new Turn to the East: not just to Asia, but to itself, to its origins as a great Euro-Asian empire. And this requires a national strategy for the new movement towards “Siberization” of Russia, from the Urals to Kamchatka. ▪️Siberia’s development was greatly advanced by the Soviet Union, but then almost went into reverse due to the wretched reforms of the 1990s. Nevertheless, attempts to move the center of development to the East continued, at least on an intellectual level. Obstacles to it included the fading but still significant Western-centrism of the Russian elites. Only in recent years has Russia begun to build eastward gas and oil pipelines. The region almost entirely lacks north-south routes connecting it to the markets of the future. ▪️Siberia profoundly strengthened the best of the Russian character: cultural and ethnic openness, volya (free will), immense courage, and the collectivism necessary to survive and conquer such expanses and elements.▪️Most of our countrymen, in developing Siberia, did not fully realize that, by opening Russia up to the Asian markets of the future, they were transforming it into a great Euro-Asian power. That future has come now, and with it, the need to transfer some federal agencies and major corporations to Siberia.▪️Apart from Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia absolutely needs a third, Siberian, capital, not least because of the military-strategic situation of the coming decades. If Peter the Great lived today, he would have certainly founded a new capital in Siberia and greatly expand the “window to Asia.”▪️Sun Tzu, Confucius, Kautilya (aka Vishnugupta), Rabindranath Tagore, Ferdowsi, King Darius, Tamerlan, Al-Khwarizm (founder of algebra), the great Turkmen Magtymguly, Abu Ali ibn Sina (aka Avicenna, founder of medical science), and Fatima Al-Fihri (founder of the first university in the world) should be as familiar to Russian secondary school graduates as Alexander the Great, Galileo, Dante, Machiavelli, Shakespeare, or Goethe. We must understand the essence of not only Orthodox Christianity but also of Islam and Buddhism. All these religions and spiritual movements are already present in our spiritual memory. We only need to preserve and develop them. Siberia, with its multiculturalism, multiconfessionality (Orthodoxy, Islam, Buddhism, and various paganisms), natural riches, and vast spaces, is an excellent springboard for Russia’s leap into the future. @LauraRuHK 👉 Read more https://eng.globalaffairs.ru/articles/eastern-turn-2-0-karaganov/
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Zelensky has shut down the Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies NABU and SAPO, which were set up with the help of the US to ensure its money wasn't stolen. They didn't make any difference to the level of corruption in the country.
Well, if anybody needs a face-saving pretext to throw Zelensky under the bus or dump Kiev, here is one. 😏 @LauraRuHK