Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, December 22nd, prepared by TASS
Izvestia: Russia views rise in military activities along its borders as serious threat
The deployment of the United States’ and NATO’s missile systems near Russia’s borders is an utterly serious challenge for the country who simply has nowhere to retreat, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at an expanded meeting of the Defense Ministry. If US missile defense systems are deployed to Ukraine, their flight time to Moscow will drop to seven to ten minutes, and the flight time of hypersonic weapons will be no longer than five minutes, the head of state noted. Putin pointed out that NATO’s use of Ukraine’s territory posed a direct threat to Russia, Izvestia notes.
Russia has already started to develop retaliatory measures to respond to the possible deployment of US hypersonic weapons to Europe and Ukraine, military sources in the Defense Ministry told the newspaper. These measures will have to fend off potential threats.
Meanwhile, Moscow’s proposals aimed at ensuring security in Europe include a Russia-NATO moratorium on the deployment of intermediate-and shorter-range missiles and strategic nuclear weapons to the region, as well as a ban on the movement of NATO’s infrastructure to Ukraine. In order to avoid tensions, Moscow suggested making legally binding agreements on the issue.
"Unfortunately, we’ve been misled many times, to put it mildly, in terms of the political guarantees that were promised to Presidents Gorbachev and Yeltsin," ex-Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ordzhonikidze told the newspaper. According to him, the statement about the need for legal guarantees means that Russia has done a lot to correct its mistakes. "We don’t need to make the same mistakes again and give in to shenanigans," Ordzhonikidze explained. "This is why we demand that everything should be documented like in agreements where there is one party, the other party, and a ratification process."
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: US seeks to sting China in Tibet
The US Department of State has designated a high-ranking official as its special coordinator for Tibet. Undersecretary Uzra Zeya will work to resume meetings between Chinese officials with the Dalai Lama and ensure that US diplomats get access to the autonomous region. Beijing has slammed the decision as political manipulation and demanded that Washington stop attempts to destabilize Tibet, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes.
After Hong Kong and the Xinjiang autonomous region, Tibet has now also entered the spotlight for both parties in the US Congress. A week ago, a group of lawmakers called on the Department of State to strengthen contact with the Tibetan government-in-exile and urged US President Joe Biden to receive the Dalai Lama in the White House.
Deputy Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of World Economy and International Relations Alexander Lomanov told the newspaper that "given the complicated relations between China and India, the Department of State’s move to empower one of its officials to deal with Tibet is a signal to the Indian authorities that they can rely on US support in their big strategic game against China." "The question is how New Delhi will react to this. It’s crucial not to make mistakes here because in the past decades, there were numerous examples of Washington signaling to countries that it would not let them down but in fact it did," he added.
As for talks between Beijing and the Dalai Lama, the expert noted that "in its official statements, China designates him as the embodiment of separatist forces whose efforts are aimed at separating Tibet from China." This is why there will be no talks until the Dalai Lama announces the abandoning of separatist activities. The Americans are more of an obstacle in this regard rather than a factor that could facilitate rapprochement and reconciliation," Lomanov emphasized.
Rossiyskaya Gazeta: WHO regional director highlights unexpected positive aspect of pandemic
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) European conference on tackling noncommunicable diseases through digital solutions has taken place in Moscow. The coronavirus pandemic radically changed many things in terms of healthcare management, stepping up the introduction of digital technologies. What used to take years is now developed and put into operation within months thanks to digitalization. WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr. Hans Kluge spoke about the progress that digital technologies are making in healthcare in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
According to him, the coronavirus pandemic has been testing healthcare systems across the world and limiting communication, which is why people are increasingly turning to digital solutions. For many, using apps for medical consultations has become more natural than seeing a doctor. Digital solutions expand the opportunities that medical professionals have, Kluge said.
On the whole, computerization helps doctors save time so they can spend more time communicating with patients in order to choose the best treatment option. It improves the quality of healthcare and will reduce the number of hospitalizations in the future, Kluge noted.
He pointed out that the pandemic had changed our view of traditional digital solutions. For instance, now we know how useful video chats can be, and not only for work purposes but for health reasons as well, including emotional health. Online communication helped many maintain their emotional ties with their families and friends during lockdowns, when we could not be together, the WHO regional director for Europe explained.
Izvestia: Could Turkish lira’s crash be dangerous for Russian ruble
Turkey is caught in the grip of a currency crisis. Although the lira is falling, the country’s Central Bank keeps reducing the key interest rate, which triggers a collapse of the national currency with the inflation rate hitting the 21% mark. Many in the country are blaming the situation on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a supporter of the policy of low interest rates, Izvestia writes.
"According to the classic macroeconomic doctrine, a soft monetary policy (low rates) almost inevitably leads to a rise in inflation, which is what is happening in Turkey. Since August 2021, the key interest rate has been reduced from 19% to 14% and inflation rates rose from 19% to 21.31%. Besides, most market participants consider this sort of monetary policy to be flawed and it triggers a lira sell-off," Portfolio Asset Manager at General Invest Alexey Gubin pointed out.
Analysts view the possibility of the situation in Turkey negatively affecting other developing currencies as low because the Turkish currency is not a reserve one. The Russian ruble is also unlikely to see any damage. The consistent policy of Russia’s Central Bank, as well as the high level of Russia’s foreign exchange reserves, can prevent the national currency from being volatile.
"From an investor’s standpoint, instability will cause an outflow of funds from the Turkish market and an inflow to the markets of other developing countries, namely Russia and Brazil who act like safe havens, which can even be a positive thing," Freedom Finance Analyst Anton Sklovets noted.
Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Russia seeks to enter global microelectronics market
The Toyota company has announced plans to use electronic components with external defects, which were bound to be recycled in the past. The move is based on the need to resolve issues stemming from microchip shortages. The shortages are being attributed to various factors, including gaps in supply chains and the lack of containers, Rossiyskaya Gazeta writes.
The current crisis was caused by a boom in demand, Internet of Things expert Oleg Artamonov pointed out. According to him, the situation would not be so critical had it not been for such a rise in demand while simultaneously, numerous factors that hamper production growth have emerged.
Localization in Russia may help protect production but it won’t be an easy thing to do. "Today, no country is capable of ensuring the full production cycle of microelectronics as the developers and manufacturers of key production components are scattered around the world," Baikal Electronics Director General Andrey Yevdokimov explained.
Establishing an independent production cycle of microelectronics is a strategic task. "Every nation seeks technological independence. It is a goal enshrined in the 2030 Electronic Industry Development Strategy," an official from the Ministry of Industry and Trade told the newspaper.
However, localization is not the only reason for setting up national manufacturing facilities. Factories manufacturing microelectronic components need to be launched with a view on entering the global market. According to Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Vasily Shpak, the rising demand for microelectronics is creating new niches in global supply chains and the ministry’s efforts are aimed at occupying them.
