Stephen Lendman

In Beijing for its Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and regional integration, Putin commented at length for reporters.

His remarks are always refreshingly candid and straightforward - polar opposite how duplicitous US-led Western leaders operate, why whatever he says is important and trustworthy.

The Kremlin web site said he “answered media questions following a working visit to the People’s Republic of China.”

Dispensing with opening remarks, he got straight to taking and answering questions. He stressed that nearly all officials in Beijing (including from North Korea) “see growing uncertainty in major political and economic power centres (including in America where anti-Trumpism rages and in troubled EU countries)…”

“(W)e are all obviously looking out for signals that give hope of greater stability” - finding none so far.

Commenting on North Korea, Putin expressed strong opposition to “any expansion to the club of nuclear powers,” including the DPRK.

He called it “counterproductive, harmful and dangerous,” mindful of disturbing “global developments, in particular blatant violations of international law, invasion of foreign states, regime change and the like” by obvious nations, advancing their interests, threatening world peace, fostering an arms race, ignoring UN Charter provisions.

While calling DPRK nuclear and ballistic missile tests “unacceptable,” Putin stressed the importance of dialogue to resolve these issues peacefully.

“Is this possible,” he asked? Can they work? He believes Pyongyang will suspend its controversial military programs with genuine assurances for security. Otherwise they’ll continue as a deterrent to possible US aggression.

As for imposing tougher sanctions on Pyongyang, neither Russia and China supports US policies, threatening the survival of its government or causing unacceptable harm to its people enough to cause a regional refugee crisis - why Moscow and Beijing stress dialogue to resolve contentious issues.

On Syria, Putin explained Russia isn’t supplying Kurdish YPG fighters with weapons. Despite likely US efforts to undermine Moscow’s de-escalation zone plan he didn’t address, he’s hopeful things will work - an important step toward expanding things nationwide the obvious goal.

Without ceasefire, “no effective political process (is possible), and everyone realizes this,” he stressed.

Important Sino/Russia cooperation continues growing “on a more global scale and with greater confidence that other parties” will get involved for greater international cooperation, Putin explained - a vital deterrent to US global dominance aims.

Russia, China and their allies seek world peace, stability and economic development - carrots, not sticks their strategy.

In contrast, America, NATO, Israel and their rogue allies pursue endless wars of aggression for control over other nations, their resources and populations.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at http://www.sjlendman.blogspot.com.