France has a long good relationship with Russia and Russians. Before Soviet Union, the Russian elite spoke French and even among other Russians. Most of them were educated in France, many emigrated to France when the Bolsheviks took power and a lot died there.
The good relationship between the French and the Russians lasts to this day. So, when the news first broke that France could sell Russia an advanced war ship, I had no doubt …

Today 90 years ago Russia agreed to renounce in perpetuity all rights to the territory and sovereignty of the Republic of Estonia. On the 2nd February, 1918, the Tartu Peace Treaty between Soviet Russia and the Republic of Estonia was signed.
The Tartu Peace Treaty ended the Estonian War of Independence that lasted from 1918 to 1920. It is one of the two wars in the entire history that Russia has ever lost.
The terms of the …

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Iran and six world powers have reached a preliminary deal for Russia to help enrich uranium for an Iranian reactor, Ha’aretz reports.
Lavrov said that the tentative agreement was reached at last week’s talks in Switzerland. He added that experts would have to work out specifics of the deal that will involve the United States, France, Russia and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Iran needs the fuel to power a research …

An incredibly despicable European Union report says that tiny democratic southern state of Georgia “illegally” started last year’s war with Russia.
The report also says that Moscow then “violated” international law by invading its neighbour in response to the attack, the Daily Telegraph reports.
“Open hostilities began with a large-scale Georgian military operation against the town of Tskhinvali and the surrounding areas, launched in the night of 7 to 8 August 2008,” the report says. ”There is the …

Poles and Czechs voiced deep concern today at US President Barack Obama’s decision to scrap a Bush-era missile defence shield planned for their countries, the AP reports.
“Betrayal! The US sold us to Russia and stabbed us in the back,” the Polish tabloid Fakt declared on its front page.
Polish President Lech Kaczynski said he was concerned that Obama’s new strategy leaves Poland in a dangerous “gray zone” between Western Europe and the old Soviet sphere.
An editorial …

NATO’s Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has called for a new strategic partnership with Russia, the BBC reports.
In his first major foreign policy address as NATO chief, Rasmussen called for a “joint review” with Moscow of global security challenges. He was speaking in Brussels the day after the US announced it was shelving plans for controversial missile defence bases in Poland and the Czech Republic.
“I would like Russia and NATO to agree to carry out a …

General Motors said today that a consortium of Canada’s Magna International Inc. and Russian Sberbank would acquire a majority stake in their European subsidiary Opel; Sberbank are virtually owned by Kremlin.
GM said key issues—including support from labour unions and a financing package from the German government—would have to be finalized, but they expected the deal to close in the “next few months”, the AP reports.
Magna and Sberbank will purchase a 55-percent stake in Adam Opel …

A senior Jerusalem official confirmed today that Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu visited Russia on Monday in order to discuss the Kremlin’s arms deals with Iran and Syria, and the transfer of Russian military hardware to Hezbollah, Ha’aretz reports.
Netanyahu’s trip was kept secret and within the prime minister’s bureau and only the military affairs secretary, General Meir Kalifi and national security advisor, Uzi Arad were privy to details of the trip. Both men accompanied Netanyahu …

According to a Polish daily, the United States will abandon plans to house an anti-missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, Washington TV reports.
The multi-billion dollar project, intended for defence against attacks from Iran and other rogue states, was to install 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar base in the Czech Republic. It had met with fierce objections from Russia.
The Polish daily, Gazeta Wyborcza, said that Washington was now considering deploying anti-missile …

Renny Harlin has been set to direct an untitled drama based on actual events that took place during the five-day Russia-Georgia war a year ago, Variety reports.
Harlin will shoot the film in areas near the conflict. Pre-production is already under way, as is casting, for a mid-September shoot. The film will be made on a budget far less than Harlin is accustomed to, with financing put together by Rex Films’ George Lascu and Michael P. …

Today one year ago the war between Russia and Georgia officially started, although Russia made preparations for that a long time before that.
On 7th August, 2008, however, Russia officially attacked its small democratic neighbour of Georgia, accusing President Mikheil Saakashvili of provoking the war, which was obviously just lies and propaganda. By destroying Georgian villages, killing Georgian people and occupying Georgian territory of South Ossetia, Russia taught a lesson to all its neighbours, saying, “You …

Georgia accused Russia on Monday of trying to take more territory outside the breakaway province of South Ossetia as tensions rose before the first anniversary of the Russian-Georgian war last summer, the AP reports.
Georgia’s Foreign Ministry said Russian troops entered the village of Kveshi near South Ossetia on Sunday and erected posts marking a new border.
“It’s very alarming that as the first anniversary of the Russian aggression against Georgia comes close, Russia and its puppets …

In the latest Empire Chronicles’ poll I asked my readers if they think Russia can be regarded as an equal partner to the Free World.
82% – 411 people said that Russia is a pariah that cannot be trusted.
Only 18% – 91 people said that Russia is a normal democratic country.
Altogether, 502 people responded to the poll.
If only now the leftist governments that flirt with Russia every time they can would realize that…
New poll in the …

US Vice President Joe Biden, who is on a visit to Ukraine and Georgia, told the Georgian Parliament today that the US fully backs Georgia’s hopes of joining NATO, the BBC reports.
In a speech to Georgian MPs, he insisted that was not the case and declared: “We will stand with you.”
However, Biden also said that Georgia had to do much more to deepen its democracy.
The Vice President said the US continued to regard the breakaway …

A group of Europe’s influential political figures – among others former Polish President Lech Walesa, former Czech President Vaclav Havel and former Estonian Prime Minister Mart Laar – have written an open letter to US President Barack Obama, warning him of Russia’s increasing intimidation in the region and calling for the US to take a strong line.
Altogether 22 former leaders signed the letter that expressed deep concern over America’s declining interest in the part of …

Russian campaigner on human rights, Natalya Estemirova, was abducted and murdered on Wednesday, hours after her organisation backed calls for Vladimir Putin to face trial over atrocities in Chechnya, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Estemirova, who won numerous international awards for her work, was bundled into a car as she left her home in Grozny, the Chechen capital. Her body was later found by the side of a road in the neighbouring province of Ingushetia. She had …