Press review: permanent fire could lead to tougher gun laws and will France withdraw from NATO – Press review

Izvestia: Perm shooting tragedy shows need for overhaul of university security structure

The law on possession of weapons from the age of 21, which comes into force in June 2022, could help protect educational institutions from attacks by their own students, said experts interviewed by Izvestia, who weighed in on the Perm tragedy. An 18-year-old from Perm State University law school engaged in a shootout at the university, killing six people. Experts also see a problem with respect to existing standards for the protection of educational institutions and their funding. The solution could be to strengthen control over this area, experts say.

The 18-year-old student shooter managed to acquire both a license and a weapon before the changes came into effect, raising the age limit for possession of both smoothbore and long barrel firearms to self-defense from 18 to 21 years old. The legislation is due to come into force on June 28, 2022.

“We must now ask ourselves the question of the personal responsibility of psychiatrists, who issue medical reports. These exams are formal and take a few minutes. In addition, we know that the security of educational establishments is ensured by security organizations. In these organizations, the guards are often not professional security personnel, ”Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Security and Anti-Corruption Committee Anatoly Vyborny told Izvestia. He added that the most professional security guards are moving into transport and other fields in search of better working conditions.

“It would be inappropriate to tighten the rules on weapons any further,” Russian State Duma lawmaker Yuri Sinelshchikov told the newspaper. “The law on increasing the age at which you can own a firearm will come into force soon. It is important to take preventive measures, to educate people to obey the law and the authorities, and to respect each other. each other, ”he added.

Kommersant: United Russia wins parliamentary elections, new party enters State Duma

Russia’s Central Election Commission confirmed on Monday that the new State Duma will have five parties instead of the previous four. According to experts interviewed by Kommersant, voters acted pragmatically and most often chose those who had a real chance of crossing the threshold. This is why the New People party succeeded in entering parliament. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia suffered the biggest losses among parliamentary parties, while United Russia retained its constitutional majority.

The accession of a fifth party to the State Duma was the main event of these elections, but experts noted new general trends in the political system. The director of political analysis at Insomar Viktor Poturemsky pointed out a change in the behavior of the electorate, who voted more pragmatically. Now, opposition-minded citizens more often choose parties that have a chance to enter the State Duma. “People want to vote for someone who will also give them advantages,” Poturemsky said.

The election result will allow New People to form a faction of at least 13 lawmakers, their leader Alexey Nechaev said. He believes the party has succeeded because of the need for changes in politics and in parliament.

Gennady Zyuganov, who heads the Communist Party, said the party has caught up with United Russia in a number of areas. During this time, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia suffered heavy losses. In 2016 he received 13.14%, but now in 2021 he only got 7.5%.

United Russia chief technologist, head of the Civil Society Development Fund, Konstantin Kostin, told Kommersant that the key factors in the party’s success were responding to the demand for renewal and successfully mobilizing supporters.

“Three days of voting, mobilization and split between opposition candidates as well as the influence of federal television” were the reasons cited by political consultant Yevgeny Minchenko for the success of United Russia. According to him, even when United Russia is not campaigning, the party brand automatically gives them 15-20% of the vote.

Izvestia: the scandal of the American-French submarines gives rise to talk of withdrawal from Paris from NATO

France should weigh its foreign policy priorities and, given the new AUKUS alliance in the Asia-Pacific region and its disagreements with the United States, it should improve relations with Russia among others, a representative of the French National Assembly (lower house of parliament) said Izvestia. The Paris review of its participation in NATO is also possible. Nevertheless, there will be no severance of relations between Paris and its NATO ally, according to experts interviewed by Izvestia.

The UKUS Trilateral Defense Pact was announced by Australia, UK and US on September 16. Its declared mission is to maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region. However, there could be an intention to oppose China, experts told Izvestia. The reaction in Beijing to the New Alliance has been scathing.

France, meanwhile, sees the new alliance as prejudicial to its own interests, and nothing more than betrayal. French National Assembly member Benoit Simian told Izvestia that NATO withdrawal should not be ruled out as a response. He believes that France should think about strengthening its diplomatic relations and its cooperation with Russia.

However, as resounding as the scandal is, it is still too early to speak of a breaking point in relations between France and NATO. “Relations with Australia and strengthening the ‘great anti-Chinese wall’ in the Indo-Pacific, containing and confronting China are top US foreign policy priorities for decades to come,” Izvestia told Izvestia. Russian Council for International Affairs expert Alexander Yermakov. . “Europe, relations with NATO and France’s grievances mean nothing here and this is openly demonstrated,” he added.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Erdogan heads to New York hoping to meet Biden

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could use his visit to New York as another attempt to improve relations with the Biden administration, writes Nezavisimaya Gazeta. According to the newspaper, at the very least, the Afghan crisis has presented a good opportunity to strengthen ties between the two NATO allies in recent months. Meanwhile, the American leader has recently moved away from Ankara, according to experts.

The subject of military-technical cooperation between Turkey and Russia continues to hamper Erdogan’s relations with Washington. This summer, the Russian authorities announced the imminent signing of a new contract for the supply of S-400 to Ankara. Another controversial topic is Syria. Turkish political analyst Kerim Has told Nezavisimaya Gazeta that attacks on Turkish military have recently become more frequent in Idlib province, which is not controlled by Damascus. In contrast, the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, where Turkey has had several clashes with Greece over the past year, is relatively stable.

Senior director of the Turkey program at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies Aykan Erdemir told the newspaper that Erdogan must believe that the New York tour will give him a chance to meet Biden. The expert noted that the decline in Washington’s criticism of Ankara indicates that Erdogan was able to secure diplomatic concessions in Brussels and that he is likely interested in making other deals in New York.

Kommersant: US and Ukraine begin Rapid Trident-2021 military exercises

Ukrainian-American military exercises dubbed Rapid Trident-2021 began Monday in Ukraine with the aim of preparing Ukrainian troops for defensive and offensive operations as part of NATO coalition forces. The exercises continue a series of multinational maneuvers taking place in Ukraine in 2021. Another multinational exercise called Combined Efforts-2021 will begin on Wednesday with the participation of 11 NATO countries. According to Kommersant, the exercises in Ukraine will lead to the development of a strategic position near Russia’s borders by US and NATO forces.

In general, eight multinational exercises will take place on the territory of Ukraine in 2021, involving 21,000 Ukrainian military personnel and around 11,000 foreign military personnel.

The deputy director of the Center for In-Depth European and International Studies at the Graduate School of Economics, Vasily Kashin, told the newspaper that a large group of enemy forces can appear at Russia’s borders in a matter of days. Moscow sees this as a serious threat. “Russia does not intend to leave these actions unanswered. The increasing number of NATO exercises in Ukraine is leading to increasingly active military activities on the Russian side. Thus, we are witnessing a continued escalation. military tension around Ukraine, “he said.

The director of the Strategy and Technology Analysis Center Ruslan Pukhov thinks differently. “Kiev falls into unreasonable euphoria over exercises and allied relations with the United States, although the latest examples of the surrender of the Afghan government by Washington and the scandal of the French submarines to Australia serve as a warning that for Ukraine it would be remiss to put all its eggs in the American basket, ”he told Kommersant.

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