From American-centrism to the Yeltsin Center – Kommersant Newspaper No. 26 (7471) of 02/13/2023

The parliamentary factions sent written questions to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the eve of his speech in the State Duma on February 15. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation has accumulated the most questions for the head of the Foreign Ministry: in particular, the communists ask why the diplomats did not build bridges to the East if they planned to break ties with the West, and what diplomatic measures were taken to prevent the conflict with Ukraine from turning into a military phase. United Russia has fewer questions: the faction is interested, in particular, what poles the future multipolar world will have and whether our country is ready to use “soft power” following the example of the United States.

On Wednesday Sergey Lavrov will make a speech at the meeting of the Duma within the framework of the “government hour” with a report “On Topical Issues of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation.” On the eve of the arrival of ministers, the Duma factions traditionally send them written questions to prepare for the speech (“Kommersant” got acquainted with them), and during the plenary session, some of them are already asked orally.

Sent the most questions CPRF (92), although many of them are essentially repeated. In particular, the communists want to get answers from Mr. Lavrov on whether it is possible that “each state will again pursue its own national interests, and not American ones,” and how it is possible to “interest countries in building a new world order when they are integrated into an American-centric financial and economic system”.

Several questions relate to Russia’s special operation in Ukraine. For example, deputies from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation ask: “Can it be considered reasonable to start a special operation with Russia so dependent on the West, and how do you see the end of the special operation?” They are interested in why the diplomats did not build bridges with the East in advance if it was planned to break off relations with the West, and “why the society was told that there was no alternative to the Minsk agreements”, while, according to the former leaders of Germany and France, they “initially did not intend to comply with the Minsk agreements and deceived our country in order to buy time for arming Ukraine.” “Is it so easy to fool Russian diplomats?” Communists are perplexed. They also want to know what measures have been taken to prevent the conflict with Ukraine from turning into a military phase.

In addition, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation invites Russia to abandon economic sanctions against the DPRK and consider expanding cooperation “our country with this friendly state to us,” as it is “one of the few states in the world that supports our country in the process of voting at the UN on events in Ukraine”. The Communists are also interested in the opinion of the Foreign Ministry regarding the initiative to nationalize the property of citizens who left the country and “speak inappropriately towards their homeland.” In conclusion, they touched on another “topical issue of foreign policy”, namely: “Is it not time to close the Yeltsin Center in Yekaterinburg?”

Among the questions “United Russia” (there are 15 in total) there are also arguments about building a “new model of a multipolar world”: it is obvious to United Russia that the unipolar world based on US hegemony is collapsing, and they ask the minister what centers of power will underlie the new world. In their opinion, it is necessary to increase the effectiveness of Russia’s use of “soft power”, as the United States does, since it “sometimes becomes a decisive element in the foreign policy of states.”

“Fair Russia – For Truth”, like other parties, are concerned about the priority areas of enhancing cooperation with African countries and the resumption of direct flights with Georgia. Separately, the faction wants to know what measures the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is taking on the return to Russia from the Netherlands of an exhibition of gold items from the Scythian period of the Northern Black Sea region (in October 2021, a court in Amsterdam ruled that the “Scythian gold” should be transferred to Ukraine, but the Crimean museums, the owners of the collection, disputed this decision; final verdict from the Dutch Supreme Court expected in September 2023.— “b”).

Finally, only five questions were found for the head of the Foreign Ministry from the factions LDPR And “New People”. The Liberal Democrats, in particular, are interested in what diplomatic measures should be taken to complete the special military operation more quickly and successfully. And New People ask what measures Russia is taking “to convince the West” of the need to stop supplying weapons to Ukraine.

Maria Makutina