Why It Matters Very Little.

I mean Putin and Trump's meeting in Osaka. Here is one such reason:

Moscow and Beijing have inked an intergovernmental agreement to switch to national currencies in bilateral trade and boost cross-currency settlements up to 50 percent as they ramp up efforts to move away from the US dollar.The document was signed by Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and the head of the People’s Bank of China, Yi Gang, earlier in June, Izvestia reports.Moscow and Beijing are currently developing new mechanisms of cross-border payments between Russian and Chinese businesses, the newspaper said, citing a letter from Deputy Finance Minister Sergey Storchak to Anatoly Aksakov, the head of the financial market committee of the State Duma (lower chamber of Russia’s parliament). The two sides may settle payment gateways between their domestic alternatives to the traditional SWIFT system, Russia’s System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS) and China’s Cross-Border Inter-Bank Payments System (CIPS).

In the same time it is a very good move to invite Trump to celebrate 75th Anniversary of Victory in Moscow, especially if Western Allied troops will take part in the Red Square Parade too. In 2010 it did happen and it was a wonderful exhibit and experience, this is not to mention that scores of Americans, British, Canadians etc.  now attend Immortal Regiment marches not only in home countries but visit Moscow, St. Pete (Leningrad at Victory Day) and other Russian cities. 

I am, however, upset with Putin (wink, wink)--how could he on the eve of my next book's release steal my thunder, LOL. This is so unfair. 

Globalization and the ‘liberal idea’ have failed Europe and the US, while post-Cold War chaos is driving crises in Venezuela and North Korea, but was stopped in Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview to FT. In a lengthy interview with the UK-based Financial Times on Wednesday, Putin candidly addressed questions about the Russian intervention in Syria – and lack thereof in Venezuela – as well as nuclear proliferation, North Korea, immigration policies in the US and Europe, Russian economy, relations with the UK, and the failure of what he called the “liberal idea” to provide for the people’s well-being.While the Cold War was bad, Putin told FT’s Lionel Barber and Henry Foy, “there were at least some rules that all participants in international communication more or less adhered to or tried to follow. Now, it seems that there are no rules at all.”

Vladimir Vladimirovich, don't do this to me anymore, please;-))) On a serious note, though, what possibly was missed, is when Putin explicitly called Merkel's immigration policy "a cardinal mistake" (in Russian), in his interview to Financial Times. I wonder what is his opinion on American immigration debate? I have a very clear idea, quoting Putin himself, humanitarianism is fine, "but what about interests of own population, when refugees count is not in couple-three dozens people, but is in hundreds thousands of those who arrive to Western Europe?"(c) So, who is more European, then? Some "lefty" psychos will call this "meddling" in Europe's internal affairs. It is not, it is a sentence and diagnosis of a political crime being committed against indigenous population of Europe, and white European-root population of the United States. Again, recall Putin's monologue at Valdai in 2017. I think, in the long run, he and many people in Russia do understand that Russia may become a refuge for European keen. Today, we can only see some foggy shapes of the emerging new world order, if we all avoid a war, we may see in 10 years an unrecognizable international system. As per Putin-Trump meeting, do not take much of it too seriously. Trump decided to let go at least informed adviser on Russia, Fiona Hill. Rumors are, some close John Bolton's creature will take the post. Wonderful.