Moscow Calling – July 22

Mishustin: Russia is making progress in food security

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that the country has already made significant progress on a number of key food security indicators. Speaking at a meeting on developing grain exports, he stressed that the government is systemically maintaining the agro-industrial complex on the instructions of the President. According to the head of the government, the main task is to provide Russians with high-quality, healthy, and diverse food products. “The basic targets of the doctrine approved by the head of state in this area are being met. We are seeing growth in many other areas as well,” Mishustin said. He also stressed the importance of agricultural exports as an element of economic development (TASS).

Karaeva: Europe has lost its survival instinct – people no longer want to have children there

Russian journalist and columnist Elena Karaeva, who previously worked in Western countries for 20 years but began to sharply criticize Western positions after leaving Euronews, has strongly criticized Europe’s demographic policy in her article on RIA Novosti. The author compares Europeans to cats that do not give birth in an unsafe environment. She argues that modern conditions in Europe are such that the indigenous population does not want to have children. Karaeva blames this on the globalist elites, who allegedly destroyed traditional values: family, gender roles, and the protective function of men. According to the author, in the context of a demographic crisis, the European Union is trying to solve the problem with the help of illegal migrants, for whom having children becomes a way to legalize their status and a source of benefits. This, according to the globalists’ plan, should lead to the replacement of indigenous peoples, Karaeva believes. She argues that Europe faces the threat of extinction if it does not change its current political and cultural vector (ria.ru).

Strelnikov: The West is tired of Ukraine, the front is collapsing, the negotiations are a farce

In his article on RIA Novosti, Russian political commentator Kirill Strelnikov sarcastically describes the recent negotiations between Ukraine and Western countries, where Ukrainian Defense Minister Shmyhal demanded $6 billion, drones, and “deep strike weapons.” However, according to him, the U.S. refused to name a date for the delivery of Patriot missiles, and Europe did not show much enthusiasm. The author claims that the West is tired of supporting Ukraine, and Kyiv’s joy over Washington’s change of course was premature. According to Strelnikov, observers and Western media are reporting on disagreements, a lack of resources, and losses suffered by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which, in their opinion, are being concealed by Zelenskyy. The author concludes that the Ukrainian army is exhausted, the front is crumbling, and the conflict is effectively lost. Kyiv’s attempts to return to negotiations now look belated and powerless, Strelnikov writes.

Gazeta.ru: Syrskyi’s parents are undergoing treatment in Moscow

Russian-born Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, sent his parents to a Moscow clinic for treatment, Gazeta.ru reports citing the Telegram channel SHOT. The propaganda outlet notes that Syrskyi’s 86-year-old father suffers from a brain disease that worsened after COVID-19. He was initially treated in Vladimir, but to no avail, after which Syrskyi’s parents were transferred to Moscow. The treatment costs Syrskyi 1 million rubles a month. Notably, the relationship between the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and his family has deteriorated due to different views on the Russian-Ukrainian war – his parents hold pro-Russian views and participated in the “Immortal Regiment.” Syrskyi’s stepson claims that the general has difficulty speaking Ukrainian and always uses Russian. He also stated that his stepfather never had pro-Ukrainian views and that he himself is being persecuted for his sympathy towards Russia (Gazeta.ru).

“Political escorts”: Levitas accuses Gusman and Markov of betraying their ideals

In his article on EADaily, Igor Levitas, Israeli publicist and author of analytical articles, a regular contributor to Russian media, criticizes the behavior of Russian propagandists, TASS deputy director Mikhail Gusman and political scientist Sergei Markov, sarcastically calling them “political escorts.” In his opinion, they serve not ideas but interests, earning “silver coins” for praising Russia’s enemies. The reason for this was their participation in a forum in Shusha, where they openly praised Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, despite his anti-Russian actions: arrests of Russian citizens, support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and anti-Russian rhetoric. Levitas considers Aliyev to be a typical Eastern autocrat who does not deserve admiration. The main criticism is the lack of reaction from the Russian authorities and media to the actions of Gusman and Markov. According to the author, such tolerance for betrayal within the “patriotic camp” indicates decay and the absence of an ideological front (EADaily).