The Kiev regime increases production of long-range arms, NATO attempts to spread its influence to Latin America and Russian elections are over. These stories topped Monday's newspaper headlines across Russia, according to TASS News Agency.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Ukraine turns to homegrown missiles amid rebuff from US

The US has decided not to send Kiev long-range projectiles capable of hitting targets on Russian territory. However, Western support for the Ukrainian army and defense industry enterprises continues, as confirmed last Friday at a summit at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Vladimir Zelensky announced that Ukraine is ramping up its own production of weaponry. The Russian Defense Ministry reported striking workshops producing components for Grom-2 operational-tactical missiles and Palyanitsa unmanned aerial vehicles.

Speaking at Ramstein on September 6, following a meeting of the contact group on Ukraine, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that using US arms for long-range strikes on Russia would not be a game-changer for Ukraine.

"It is difficult for NATO to hide its involvement in the Ukraine conflict. This is proven by a joint article by US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns and head of the MI6 Secret Intelligence Service Richard Moore who said that ‘staying the course is more vital than ever,’ adding that they will continue to assist their Ukrainian intelligence partners," Colonel (Ret.) Vladimir Popov, a military expert, told Nezavisimaya Gazeta.

He noted data from the Russian Defense Ministry which on September 8 reported that Russian forces continued to advance in Donbass and had repelled Ukrainian attacks in the Kursk area: "Ukrainian losses in the Kursk area have surpassed 11,220 troops. Eighty-seven tanks and 74 armored personnel carriers have been eliminated. This is almost the equivalent of an entire army corps." By grinding down the enemy, Russia continues to increase its offensive potential for pushing it out of Russian territory, Popov thinks.

Izvestia: US uses NATO as vessel to get its hooks into Latin America - Russian Foreign Ministry

Russia is wise to the US and its NATO allies trying to spread the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's tentacles to Latin America, Alexander Shchetinin, director of the Department of Latin America at the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with Izvestia.

"We are seeing increased efforts from Washington and its NATO allies to spread the influence of this alliance outside of the Euro-Atlantic region, including Latin America," he stressed.

The diplomat reminded of NATO programs which provide for assisting in reforming security structures, training pertinent specialists and rearming with an emphasis on purchasing Western weapons as well as joint military exercises. "The American military is clearly striving to put its stamp on the political and economic agenda of Latin American countries with regard to countries in the region. One of the most active players in this process is commander of the US Southern Command Laura Richardson, a four-star general," Shchetinin added.

"NATO’s eastward spread destroyed the architecture of European security. We see that the alliance is trying to spread its influence to the Indo-Pacific region as well. Is this creeping expansion into Latin America needed? That’s the big question, and the Latin Americans themselves are the only ones who can answer it," the diplomat explained.

"We have a different approach. As opposed to the US and NATO, we do not view Latin America as a zone for geopolitical games, we reject the Monroe Doctrine and we do not force the Latin Americans to ‘pick sides,’" he concluded.

Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Russians come out in droves to cast their ballots in general elections

The Single Voting Day has concluded in Russia. While the ballots continue to be counted, sitting governors and the United Russia party look like they will come out big winners. This year’s elections were marked by a good turnout and a small number of violations. The Central Election Commission (CEC) particularly noted the successful holding of elections in the embattled Kursk Region.

In some regions - in the Kursk, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Rostov and Krasnodar regions, as well as in Crimea and Sevastopol - the elections were held with a number of restrictions and heightened security measures, but went off without a hitch and with a high turnout.

According to CEC Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova, this speaks to the character of citizens across the country, ready to carry out their civic duty even amid the tough conditions. Early results from the Far East suggest that incumbent leaders are maintaining their positions, both in executive and legislative roles.

Thus, it appears that the forecast provided by analysts from the Expert Institute of Social Studies (EISS) is coming to fruition. "There is no need at all to talk about a second round. And our voters have united around the public authorities, around those candidates backed by the president and around the values these candidates are all about," EISS Managing Director for Interaction with Expert Community Firdus Aliyev said.

Vedomosti: Macron's PM nomination triggers nationwide protests in France

On September 7, protest rallies were held across France against President Emmanuel Macron's choice of center-right Michel Barnier for prime minister. His appointment must now be approved by the parliament. The president’s decision outraged the left-wing Nouvel front populaire, NFP, which garnered a relative majority in the July parliamentary elections. In its opinion, Macron should have appointed its candidate Lucie Castets. About 130-150 protest rallies were held across the country, including in Paris.

Had Macron chosen a left-wing candidate, he would have become a "lame duck" in the French political system, said Pavel Timofeyev, head of the Section for Regional Issues and Conflicts at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO RAS).

The positions of the left and Macron’s center are worlds apart on the economy, migration and energy. According to the expert, a right-center coalition of Macron supporters and republicans in the parliament is most likely.

The current situation in France allows both for a right-center and a left-center coalition, thinks Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) Research Director Andrey Kortunov. According to him, Macron still sees Marine Le Pen as his main opponent. That said, a coalition with her National Rally is theoretically possible. If Macron decides to let the right shape the government, however, it could be risky, as any unpopular policies they institute could hurt them going into the 2027 election. Additionally, Macron may still try to find a partner in the left-wing coalition, however, the incumbent French president is closer to the right than to the left, Kortunov thinks.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Scholz seeks to break new ground with Central Asian countries

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan on September 15-17 to participate in the second meeting within the C5+1 Central Asia-Germany format. According to German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit, the talks will involve boosting cooperation with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, Germany’s key partners. "We aspire to expand cooperation with them, particularly in the fields of science, economy, energy, communications and raw materials," the German official said. The chancellor will be accompanied by a high-level delegation.

"Let us reiterate that Kazakhstan was one of the first countries in the region to sign a memorandum on cooperation with the EU on supplies of key raw materials, such as rare-earth metals. The EU and US, to a certain extent, are seeking alternatives to China and Russia in terms of delivering rare-earth metals to the European market because 70% of their global market is controlled by China, which not only produces these raw materials but also processes them. China has a monopoly in this sphere," Director of the Risk Assessment Group Dosym Satpayev told the newspaper. "From a geopolitical standpoint, it is crucial that Washington and Brussels have alternative supplies to reduce dependence on China and Russia. They see such an alternative in Central Asia, Africa and Latin American countries. But in general, the EU views Central Asia as a zone of strategic interest, including in the area of rare-earth metals," the expert stressed.

"Chancellor Scholz’s visit to Central Asia is of a ‘shuttle’ nature and one must view it as an element of the US and EU’s general strategy of the last three years. One can recall the US-Central Asia summit held about a year ago, and the EU-Central Asia summit, and the visit by French President Macron to the region, and many other initiatives in the 5+1 format on various levels. All these visits have one thing in common: these are attempts to influence countries in the region to reduce their cooperation with Russia and China, a proposition that comes with many promises in exchange," Alexander Knyazev, leading expert with the Institute for International Studies at Moscow State Institute of International Relations, told Nezavisimaya Gazeta. In his opinion, it is possible that no breakthroughs will occur in relations between Central Asian countries and Germany during the current visit either.

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