We're all war criminals now (open thread)

Edward's weekly Russia news roundup

It’s Sunday. Take it easy.

We are resurrecting the Sunday News Roundup & Open Thread. This time we promise it is here to stay. Feel free to shill links in the comments section.

Obviously the Big News of the week is that the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for a certain Mr. V. V. Putin. (Ukraine is not a signatory of the Rome Statute/ICC—no one important is—but whatever.)

What does this all mean? Germany’s justice minister has vowed to arrest Putin if he sets foot on German soil. So … no more Oktoberfest for Russia’s president?

A very silly state of affairs. Strelkov argues it’s no laughing matter, though:

As for Putin's “arrest warrant” … the fact is that the West is SURE in the successful (for itself) conclusion of the current war and has created legal grounds for formalizing its victorious results … Putin is predictably “identified as the next Milosevic” (Gaddafi, Saddam, etc.) and they are preparing to deal with him just like with all the previous ones. If the recent “dear and respected partners" were not so confident, they would refrain from such impudent actions.

Tell us what you think in the comments.

News & views from Russian media

• Russian football clubs are reporting record-low ticket sales after the introduction of the “Fan ID” digital identity system. [Katyusha]

• The grain deal has been extended for another 60 days (Kiev claims 120 days). [Nakanune / Kommersant]

• Putin visited Mariupol. [TASS / Zvezda / Kommersant]

• “The warrant for the arrest of the head of the Russian state is a scam on an unprecedented scale.” [Strategic Culture - Russian edition]

• The State Duma passed a law making it a criminal offense to discredit participants in Russia’s SMO. [Zavtra]

• What’s on the agenda for Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to Moscow? [Gazeta / Nakanune]

The Virus

• Coronavirus is “still relevant” and continues to have a “significant impact” on Russia, Russian health minister and WHO executive board member Mikhail Murashko has declared. [TASS]

• Convacell, the 2-dose clot-shot developed by Russia’s #1 Bill Gates groupie, has magically morphed into a single-shot clot-shot. Because science. [TASS]

• Karelia’s health minister wants to reimpose mandatory masks on the region. Also because science. [RBC]

• The chief physician of a St. Petersburg hospital says COVID patients at his institution are “elderly people over 80 years old,” and “among all their health problems, the coronavirus is in fifth or tenth place.” [RBC]

Links from around the interwebs

• After a long hiatus, we’ve reunited with Rolo to discuss current events. (By the way, we think the “Aiden is fighting again” story might be a hoax? It was shared widely by pro-Russia Telegram channels but, uh … haven’t seen any firm confirmation.)

Red List 13 - Moscow Is Just Making It Up As They Go Along w/ Slavsquat

• Iain Davis has an excellent series on CBDCs (Part I & Part II). And don’t forget to follow him on Substack and Telegram.

Central Bank Digital Currency Is the Endgame - Part 1

• We enjoyed Jesse Zurawell’s recent chat with Catte Black (editor of Off-Guardian) on TNT Radio (Clicky-click to listen). A timely discussion that touched on topics we sometimes write about here at E. Slavsquat.

Have a restful Sunday.

— Riley