Meeting with the head Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, which has been divided for a number of years by a fierce liturgical dispute, Pope Francis emphasises the importance of unity and obedience to ecclesiastical authorities.https://t.co/dg31B1t6bO
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) May 13, 2024
Day: May 13, 2024
There is a question: “Who is now more in charge, #Shoigu or #Medvedev?”. The decision to turn the Security Council into a circus has been taken, but there is no one left there except the clowns and a couple of trainers. pic.twitter.com/3uaNxgtH0B
— generalsvr_en (@generalsvr_en) May 12, 2024
Hamas’ leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, is still hiding in tunnels under Khan Yunis, not in Rafah, and is surrounded by hostages, according to new reports.https://t.co/2ofqK4vzoj
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) May 12, 2024
Categories
Weapons of Espionage: James Bond
James Bond is the world’s most famous secret agent. Code named “007” which is ironically also the average number of times he reveals his secret identity per movie. In the real-world Bond would be one of the worst secret agents of all time. The job of a clandestine intelligence officer is to collect intelligence without the enemy knowing. However, Bond can’t help but blow his cover at every turn.
In most instances, clandestine intelligence officers will never even carry a firearm in the course of duty. If an undercover intelligence officer is found with a firearm it can blow their cover and get them landed in jail or worse. In every film, Bond engages the enemy in dramatic gunfights that end in gigantic explosions.
Typically, Bond is armed with his trusty pistol which is almost always the Walther PPK. Most often Bond is seen resourcing weapons from dispatched henchmen. However, the purpose of this report is to examine what James Bond chooses to arm himself with and why. All the weapons that bond captures from enemies and fictional gadgets are excluded. This report will examine exclusively the weapons Bond is issued throughout course of the 25 films.
Sean Connery
| Film/Year | Weapons |
| Dr. No – 1962 | Beretta M1934 – Seen only shortly Walther PP – larger version of PPK |
| From Russia with Love – 1963 | Walther PPK Armalite AR 7 |
| Goldfinger – 1964 | Walther PPK |
| Thunderball – 1965 | Walther PPK – suppressed and unsuppressed |
| You Only Live Twice – 1967 | Walther PPK |
| Diamonds Are Forever – 1971 | Walther PPK |
“Stay Strapped or Get Clapped” – James Bond (Citation Needed)
A lot can be said about James Bond’s choice in pistols but at the very least he’s always packing heat. The world-renowned spy is never without his trusty sidearm. Most often this takes the form of the Walther PPK. Ironically the world-famous British spy is known for a German made gun. The PPK made its iconic screen debut as Bond’s handgun of choice in From Russia with Love and has since become a mainstay. However, the Walther PPK is a bad choice because its outdated, its heavy, and it fires a weak cartridge.
Walther PPK-L – note the “L” only indicates a different frame material.
Walther PPK
- Weapon type: Compact autoloading pistol
- Weight: 590g (1.3lbs)
- Cartridge: .380 ACP – notably weaker than 9x19mm
- Operating mechanism: Simple blowback
- Magazine capacity: 7 rounds
- Country of origin: Germany
- Notable features: Steel frame
- Bond’s variant: Sometimes seen with a suppressor
George Lazenby
| Film/Year | Weapons |
| On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – 1969 | Walther PPK |
The Contemporary James Bond
Admittedly, it’s not suprising that a 91-year-old handgun would be a poor choice by modern standards. However, what is surprising is that Bond continues to carry it in 2021. It is indicative of the larger point. James Bond prefers form over function. In the 1990s and early 2000s Bond could be seen with the Walther P99.
Walther P99Q
Walther P99
- Weapon type: Autoloading pistol
- Weight: 630 g (1.3lbs)
- Cartridge: 9x19mm
- Operating mechanism: Short recoil – locked breech
- Magazine capacity: 10 – 20 rounds
- Country of origin: Germany
- Notable features: Polymer frame
- Countries in service: Numerous European police forces
Roger Moore
| Film/Year | Weapons |
| Live and Let Die – 1973 | Walther PPK S&W Model 29 |
| The Man with the Golden Gun – 1974 | Walther PPK |
| The Spy Who Loved Me – 1977 | Walther PPK |
| Moonraker – 1979 | Bond never uses any issued weapons |
| For Your Eyes Only – 1981 | Walther PPK |
| Octopussy – 1983 | Walther P5 |
| A View to Kill – 1985 | Walther PPK |
The Post-modern Bond
The Walther P99 is a quality handgun which has seen use all over the world by various Police and military units. It is a much more sensible gun to carry if Bond is expecting to shoot it out with henchmen. But what the P99 lacks is a sense of soul. The P99’s polymer frame and blocky edges don’t conjure up the image of a globetrotting secret agent. Only the sleek contours of a pistol from a bygone era have that ability.
In 1983’s Octopussy, Roger Moore’s portrayal of Bond forgoes the familiar PPK. It was swapped out for a Walther P5. The P5 was designed in the 1970s as a replacement for the PPK. Ironically, the P99 was the replacement for the P5. In many ways the P5 is the middle child between the PPK and P99 both chronologically and in terms of features. The P5 has elements of both designs within it.
Walther P5 Compact.
Walther P5
- Weapon type: Autoloading pistol
- Weight: 795 g (1.75lbs)
- Cartridge: 9x19mm
- Operating mechanism: Short recoil – locked breech
- Magazine capacity: 8 rounds
- Country of origin: West Germany
- Notable features: Steel frame
The Walther P5 makes significantly more sense for Bond to carry as a side arm compared to the PPK. The P5 is an all around more practical design. Plus, it has some of that iconic old-world charm that makes the PPK so unique. However, Bond would carry the P5 for only one movie.
In Roger Moore’s debut as Bond, he can be seen briefly wielding a Smith and Wesson Model 29. Live and Let Die was the first bond movie of the 1970s. It was coming off the tail of Dirty Harry which had released two years prior. It was almost certainly no coincidence that both Bond and Harry Callahan wielded a S&W Model 29. A hulking beast of a pistol fit for the 1970s.
S&W Model 629 with 130mm (5in barrel) – note the 6 denotes a stainless-steel finish. (Credit: Surv1v4l1st)
S&W Model 29
- Weapon type: Revolver
- Weight: 1.276 kg (2.8lbs)
- Cartridge: .44 Magnum
- Operating mechanism: Double action revolver
- Magazine capacity: 6 round cylinder
- Country of origin: United States
- Bond’s variant: 170mm (6.5in) barrel
Timothy Dalton
| Film/Year | Weapons |
| The Living Daylights – 1987 | Walther PPK – suppressed and unsuppressed Walther WA 2000 |
| License to Kill – 1989 | Walther PPK Taurus PT92 |
Form and Function
There are a few instances in the films where Bond makes practical weapon selections. However, it is almost exclusively when it comes to two-handed weapons. Throughout the films Bond employs four weapons that both look good and make sense.
Walther WA 2000 (Credit: Atirador)
Walther WA 2000 – The Living Daylights (1987)
- Weapon type: Semi-automatic precision rifle
- Weight: 6.9 kg (13.3lbs)
- Cartridge: 7.62x51mm/.300 WM/ 7.5×55 Swiss
- Operating mechanism: Gas tappet system
- Magazine capacity: 6 rounds
- Country of origin: West Germany
- Notable features: Bullpup design (magazine behind the trigger)
- Countries in service: Formerly used by German police
- Bond’s variant: Outfitted with a large laser aiming module next to the scope
Swedish Accuracy International Arctic Warfare (Source/Credit: Armémuseum)
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare – Die Another Day (2002)
- Weapon type: Precision rifle
- Weight: 6.5 kg (14.3lbs)
- Cartridge: 7.62x51mm/.300 WM/.338 LM
- Operating mechanism: Bolt action
- Magazine capacity: 10 rounds in 7.62x51mm – 5 rounds in .300 WM/.338 LM
- Country of origin: United Kingdom
- Countries in service: Used by militaries around the world
- Bond’s variant: Outfitted with a suppressor
UMP-9 alongside MP5s. (Credit: Rizuan)
Heckler and Kock UMP-9 – Casino Royale (2006)/Quantum of Solace (2008)
- Weapon type: Submachinegun
- Weight: 2.3 kg (5.2lbs)
- Cartridge: 9x19mm
- Operating mechanism: Simple blowback
- Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
- Country of origin: Germany
- Notable features: Almost complete polymer design, intended to replace the MP5 but is widely regarded as inferior
- Countries in service: Police and special operations units all over the world
- Bond’s variant: Seen with and without a suppressor
Mk18 Mod 0 – note not an L119A1 however they are almost identical in appearance.
L119A1 CQB Carbine – No Time to Die (2021)
- Weapon type: Compact assault rifle
- Weight: 2.7 kg (6lbs)
- Cartridge: 5.56x45mm
- Operating mechanism: Direct gas impingement
- Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
- Country of origin: United Kingdom (produced in Canada)
- Notable features: Appears similar to a MK18 mod 0 but has a 254mm (10in) barrel as opposed to 261.6mm (10.3in), no bayonet lug, unique charging handle, and a slightly altered KAC RAS system.
- Countries in service: UK’s special operations forces
- Bond’s variant: Outfitted with an EOTech holographic sight, suppressor, and canted iron sights.
These rifles and submachine gun all make a good deal of sense. They have specific purposes, and they fill those roles well. Aside from the WA 2000, all three of these weapons are still in service today. They are extremely functional, and it helps that they all look pretty cool.
Pierce Brosnan
| Film/Year | Weapons |
| GoldenEye – 1995 | Walther PPK – suppressed and unsuppressed |
| Tomorrow Never Dies – 1997 | Walther PPK – suppressed and unsuppressed Walther P99 Armalite AR-18– heavily modified to fold |
| The World is Not Enough – 1999 | Walther P99– suppressed and unsuppressed |
| Die Another Day – 2002 | Walther P99 Accuracy International Arctic Warfare – suppressed |
The Good, the Bond, and the Bizarre
Throughout the films Bond can be seen utilizing a variety of strange firearms. Some are wildly impractical, others have odd appearances, and some just make you scratch your head.
In From Russia with Love, Bond is seen employing an Armalite AR 7 as a sniper rifle. This is impractical for a variety of reasons. The AR 7 was designed by the same company that designed the M16 for the US military. “AR” is often misattributed as “assault rifle”. However, it stands for “Armalite Rifle” as evidence in the AR 7. The rifle isn’t being used for its intended purpose and the cartridge it fires is not effective at killing anything bigger than a squirrel. An odd choice for Bond to use.
AR 7 with a faux wood stock. (Credit: CynicalMe)
AR 7
- Weapon type: Survival rifle
- Weight: 1.3 kg (2.8lbs)
- Cartridge: .22LR – one of the smallest common cartridges
- Operating mechanism: Simple blowback
- Magazine capacity: 8 rounds
- Country of origin: United States
- Notable features: Designed to come apart, the barrel and action can be store inside the stock
- Bond’s variant: Bond’s is outfitted with a scope and a suppressor
In License to Kill, Timothy Dalton’s Bond is carrying a Taurus PT92, which is a Brazilian made clone of the Beretta 92. While the Beretta 92 has seen service by military and police across the globe, the PT92 has not. Taurus is infamous for its poor craftsmanship and quality control. Am I overanalysing Bond’s choice of firearms? Perhaps. It’s likely the filmmakers chose to use the PT92 because it was what they had available.
Taurus PT92 with extravagant stainless-steel frame and gold accents. (Credit: Vitaly V. Kuzmin)
Taurus PT92
- Weapon type: Autoloading pistol
- Weight: 960 g (2.1lbs)
- Cartridge: 9x19mm
- Operating mechanism: Recoil operated locked breach
- Magazine capacity: 15 rounds
- Country of origin: Italian design/Brazilian production
- Notable features: Steel frame
- Countries in service: Multiple countries, primarily in South America
The 1990s ushered in a new era of James Bond. The mantle was picked up by Pierce Brosnan. In his second Bond film, Brosnan wields a rather odd-looking rifle. It is a heavily modified AR 18 designed to fold. The AR 18 is designed once again by Armalite and is a successor to the M16. The weapon’s internal operating system was heavily influential within the firearms industry. For example, the popular SCAR 16 (light) and SCAR 17 (heavy) rifles use the same basic operating system. The compact design of Bond’s folding AR 18 is interesting. However, it does beg the question. Why?
Submachine guns like the UMP-9 were already in existence at the time. Additionally, with the stock folded a UMP-9 would likely have a comparable footprint, providing equal concealability. Lastly, the incredibly short barrel on Bond’s AR 18 firing 5.56x45mm would likely have worse terminal ballistics than an UMP-9. Essentially, Bond has chosen an inferior tool for the job. A submachinegun would be quieter and have less recoil than his Rubik’s Cube of a rifle.
Modified AR 18 in folded position. (Source)
AR 18
- Weapon type: Assault rifle
- Weight: 3 kg (6.7lbs)
- Cartridge: 5.56x45mm – same as M16/M4
- Operating mechanism: Short-stroke gas piston
- Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
- Country of origin: United States
- Countries in service: Botswana, Malaysia, and Eswatini
- Bond’s variant: Designed to fold into an extremely compact package
Danie Craig’s portrayal of Bond has one of the most practical firearms, the L119A1. However, in Spectre, he uses one of the least practical firearms. It isn’t impractical because of the firearm itself, but because of how it is used. Bond uses a Glock 17 in a FAB Defense KPOC carbine conversion kit. The Glock 17 is one of the best sidearms in the world. The KPOC kit provides a stock, two handed operation, and the provision to mount optics and lights/lasers. However, the KPOC kit could be described as an…interesting choice. There is no practical reason to use the KPOC instead of a dedicated submachine gun. The manual of arms is awkward, the magazines feed less reliably at high rates of fire, the barrel is shorter so it is less effective, and if it jams it will take significantly longer to clear.
Daniel Craig as James Bond wielding a Glock 17 in KPOC kit.
Glock 17
- Weapon type: Autoloading pistol
- Weight: 625 g (1.3lbs)
- Cartridge: 9x19mm
- Operating mechanism: Recoil operated locked breach
- Magazine capacity: 17 rounds
- Country of origin: Austria
- Notable features: Polymer frame
- Countries in service: Used by militaries and police agencies all over the world
- Bond’s variant: Outfitted with a KPOC kit, laser aiming module, folding iron sights, and a suppressor
Daniel Craig
| Film/Year | Weapons |
| Casino Royale – 2006 | Walther PPK Walther P99– suppressed and unsuppressed Heckler and Kock UMP-9 – suppressed |
| Quantum of Solace – 2008 | Walther PPK Heckler and Kock UMP-9 – suppressed and unsuppressed |
| Skyfall – 2012 | Walther PPK |
| Spectre – 2015 | Walther PPK Glock 17 – in FAB Defense KPOS kit |
| No Time to Die – 2021 | Walther PPK L119A1 CQB Carbine |
Conclusion
The reoccurring theme with Bond’s choice of weapons is that he prefers form over function. Over the years Bond has routinely selected outdated and outclassed weapons for his assignment. Is it because he’s a bad secret agent? Unlikely, aside from his terrible tradecraft he always successfully completes the mission. Is it because the film producers care more about branding and what looks cool? Almost certainly. However, I choose to believe it is because Bond is a man who favours a firearm from a forgotten era. Pistols with a certain je ne sais quoi about them. In the military, the number one rule is to “look cool”. Doesn’t matter what you’re doing as long as you look cool doing it. Whether he’s handing out his secret identity like pixie sticks on Halloween or getting into gunfights on clandestine collection missions, James Bond abides by this rule like gospel.
The post Weapons of Espionage: James Bond first appeared on JOSSICA – The Journal of the Open Source Strategic Intelligence and Counterintelligence Analysis.
The Broadway box office numbers for the week of May 5 revealed that Hillary Clinton-produced stage play “Suffs” is on the bottom rung of shows in terms of filling capacity.
Broadway Theatre Industry official site “The Broadway League” shared the weekly grosses from the 35 shows currently playing on Broadway, which include “Suffs,” “Harry Potter and The Cursed Child,” and classics like “Romeo & Juliet,” Sweeney Tod” and “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.”
According to the data, Clinton’s play only reached 81% capacity across eight performances that week, placing it among the bottom eight productions in that category – the bottom 23% of all 35 shows for the week.
Noting that the play’s lagging numbers look even worse considering it’s a new show, Breitbart News argued the performance “should still be drawing big crowds during Broadway’s peak season – the month before the Tony Awards,” which is right now.
The play first opened on Broadway last month, following an Off-Broadway run that started in 2022 in New York City’s “The Public” theater. The musical was by singer-songwriter Shaina Taub, directed by Leigh Silverman, and produced by lead producers Jill Furman and Rachel Sussman, along with co-producers Hillary Clinton and Malala Yousafzai.
Breitbart also noted that Vice President Harris’s niece, Meena Harris, is another producer on the stage play.
The three-hour-long play brings the women’s suffrage movement of the early 1900s to the stage. According to the show’s website, Suffs “boldly explores the victories and failures of a struggle for equality that’s far from over.”
HILLARY CLINTON: ‘WHAT TRUMP REALLY WANTS’ IS TO ‘KILL HIS OPPOSITION’
The play features an “entirely female and non-binary cast – among them Tony winner Nikki M. James, Jenn Colella, Emily Skinner, and Grace McLean as President Woodrow Wilson,” according to Playbill.com.
Clinton stated she relates to “all of” the characters in the play, telling the Associated Press last month she knows “how hard it is to make change.”
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“I know how important it is to have relationships with the people you’re working for, as you’re taking risks and you’re doing things that have never been done, whether it’s running for president in my case or having a march on Washington in 1913 to try to convince the president and the Congress to adopt the amendment to let women vote,” she said.
The former U.S. Secretary of State added, “But more than that, I see it as relevant today. We have a lot of challenges in our country.”
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BroadwayLeague.com’s numbers also revealed that last week’s numbers for “Suffs” were even worse, with the show only filling 78% of its 7,784 total seats across performances.
The post Hillary Clinton-produced play ‘Suffs’ failing to pack seats during peak Broadway season first appeared on JOSSICA – The Journal of the Open Source Strategic Intelligence and Counterintelligence Analysis.
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez’s criminal corruption trial begins Monday in New York.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Sen. Robert Menendez goes on trial Monday for allegedly accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, including bars of gold, in exchange for using his position as a powerful member of Congress to benefit three New Jersey businessmen as well as the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
Menendez, a three-term Democratic senator from New Jersey, faces 16 criminal counts, including bribery, obstruction of justice, acting as a foreign agent and honest services wire fraud. He has pleaded not guilty, and says that he is being targeted because he is a prominent Latino.
He faces trial alongside two co-defendants, Egyptian-American businessman Wael Hana and real estate developer Fred Daibes, while a third businessman, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty and is cooperating with the government. Menendez’s wife, Nadine, was also charged but will face trial separately.
After he was indicted, Menendez stepped down from his role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a powerful post that gave him influence over foreign military sales and financing. Despite calls to step down entirely, he has professed his innocence, refused to resign from the U.S. Senate and is still running for re-election this fall — though not as a Democrat.
This is not the first time Menendez has faced legal peril. He was indicted in 2015 on unrelated federal corruption and bribery charges, which he fought and took to trial. That case was declared a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
Menendez has vowed he will prevail in this prosecution as well. This case will be heard by a federal jury in Manhattan, unlike his previous trial which was in his home state of New Jersey. Jury selection begins Monday, and the trial is expected to last up to two months.
The prosecution’s case
The indictment describes a complex bribery scheme that allegedly ran from 2018 to 2023. Prosecutors say that Menendez and his wife accepted bribes from the three businessmen, including gold bullion, a Mercedes Benz convertible and cash. In exchange, Menendez allegedly agreed to take action to protect and enrich the trio, as well as to secretly benefit Egypt and Qatar.
The alleged scheme contains various threads that were all intertwined.
One revolved around Hana, who prosecutors say had close contacts with Egyptian officials and had been friends with Nadine Menendez for years.
The indictment says Menendez promised to use his power and authority to facilitate military sales and financing to Egypt. In return, Hana promised, among other things, to put Nadine Menendez on the payroll of his company for a “low-or-no-show job.”
Prosecutors say Menendez provided sensitive U.S. government information to Egyptian officials, with Hana acting as a middleman of sorts. Menendez also allegedly edited and ghost-wrote a letter on behalf of Egypt aimed at convincing U.S. senators to lift a hold on $300 million in aid to Egypt. He also signed off on foreign military aid to the country.
Hana, meanwhile, had secured a monopoly from the Egyptian government on certifying U.S. food exported to Egypt as halal. That monopoly, prosecutors say, was highly lucrative for Hana and his business, but it raised the cost of halal certification for U.S. meat suppliers.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture contacted the Egyptian government with concerns about the monopoly.
Gold bars
According to the indictment, Menendez—at Hana’s request—intervened to protect Hana’s business by calling a senior U.S. Department of Agriculture official and demanding the department “stop interfering” with Hana’s monopoly.
The thread related to Qatar revolves around another co-defendant, Fred Daibes.
According to the indictment, Daibes was trying to secure a multimillion-dollar investment from a Qatari investment company, and he enlisted Menendez’s help to do so.
Prosecutors say Menendez made “multiple public statements supporting the Government of Qatar,” and then gave them to Daibes to show the Qatari investor and a Qatari government official. In return for allegedly using his influence as a senator to help Daibes, the indictment says Menendez received gold bars and cash from the businessman.
FBI agents recovered gold bars, as well as $480,000 in cash, during a court-authorized search of Menendez’s home in New Jersey. Some of the gold bars bore serial numbers indicating they’d previously been owned by Daibes.
The indictment says stacks of cash were found in jackets with Menendez’s name stitched on them. Some envelopes of cash found at the home had Daibes’ fingerprints on them, according to court papers.
In addition to those actions, prosecutors allege Menendez also used his influence as a senator to intervene in investigations or prosecutions at the state and federal level.
In one instance, they say he tried to intervene in a New Jersey state criminal prosecution of an associate of one of the businessmen, Jose Uribe, by calling a senior investigator and urging that the matter be resolved.
In another instance, Menendez allegedly took action to intervene in a federal prosecution of Daibes.
Menendez’s defense
Menendez has said that he has worked tirelessly over his career as a public servant, and he’s claimed that he’d being targeted because of his Cuban heritage.
In a news conference after his indictment, Menendez told reporters that “prosecutors get it wrong sometimes.”
On the cash found at his home, Menendez said that he has withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from his personal savings for potential emergencies. It’s a habit, he said, drawn on “the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba.” Menendez was born in New York to parents who had immigrated from Cuba.
“I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jersey’s senior senator.”
The post Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez goes on trial in New York on federal corruption charges first appeared on JOSSICA – The Journal of the Open Source Strategic Intelligence and Counterintelligence Analysis.
Andrei Belousov—a respected economist and former deputy prime minister—will now lead the country’s defense ministry and its prolonged campaign in Ukraine, with President Vladimir Putin having chosen him to replace longtime incumbent and loyalist Sergei Shoigu.
Shoigu will move on to head Russia’s powerful security council, replacing FSB Director Nikolai Patrushev, who has long been considered one of Putin’s most powerful and hawkish officials. It is not yet clear what post Patrushev will be moved to, though his son—Dmitry Patrushev, who has been touted as a possible Putin successor—has been promoted to deputy prime minister.
Russia’s upper house in parliament, the Federation Council, will now need to approve Belousov’s candidacy. His proposed appointment appears to suggest the Kremlin sees victory in Ukraine—and perhaps beyond—as a matter of economics.
“Today on the battlefield, the winner is the one who is more open to innovation,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said of the reshuffle, as quoted by the state-run Tass news agency.
Incoming Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 19, 2022. The economist has long been considered close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Incoming Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 19, 2022. The economist has long been considered close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
JACK TAYLOR/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
“Therefore, it is natural that at the current stage, the president decided that the Russian Ministry of Defense should be headed by a civilian.” He added: “It’s very important to put the security economy in line with the economy of the country so that it meets the dynamics of the current moment.”
Belousov, 65, graduated from the Faculty of Economics of the Moscow State University in 1981 with distinction, Reuters reported. Born in Moscow, Belousov is reported to have practiced samba and karate in his youth and did not serve in the armed forces. He has long been considered close to Putin.
By 2000, Belousov had been appointed as a nonstaff adviser to the Russian prime minister. In 2006, he joined the economy ministry as a deputy minister.
Between 2008 and 2012, when Putin was serving one term as prime minister to adhere to constitutional term limits, Belousov served as the director of the government’s department for economics and finance.
Belousov was made the minister for economic development in 2012, before transitioning in 2013 to serve as Putin’s economic adviser. He held that role until 2020, when he became first deputy prime minister. Belousov stepped in as acting prime minister when incumbent Mikhail Mishustin contracted COVID-19 in 2020.
“He’s very professional, he’s a technocrat, and he’s very blunt, very straightforward,” Oleg Ignatov—the nongovernmental organization Crisis Group’s senior analyst for Russia—told Newsweek. “He doesn’t like to hide the truth. He can fix problems.” He added: “From Putin’s point of view, it’s a very good appointment.”
“He has his own vision,” Ignatov said, describing Belousov as “very anti-Western” and believing strongly “that the state should play a crucial role in the Russian economy.” Considered “very hawkish” and not corrupt, Ignatov said, the new minister can be expected to launch a major anti-corruption drive.
“Of course, some people will be upset about this, because the military has been very corrupt in Shoigu’s time,” Ignatov said. Many of Shoigu’s allies can be expected to follow him out of the ministry, likely to be replaced by technocrats more of the Belousov mold.
Unlike Shoigu and other top figures, Belousov does not have his own power base or “clan” of allies and dependents. “Belousov is alone,” Ignatov said. “He’s independent and loyal exclusively to Putin.”
And where Shoigu sought to influence battlefield planning, Beluosov is expected to be more restrained. “He will trust the military and military will do their work,” Ignatov said. “Belousov will care about the defense ministry as a big enterprise, and he will manage it as such.”
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote that Belousov’s appointment “is a significant development in Putin’s efforts to set full economic conditions for a protracted war,” noting that the economist is known as an advocate for more government involvement in the economy.
Outgoing Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on May 9, 2024, in Moscow. The long-serving minister will be moved to head Russia’s powerful national security council.
Outgoing Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on May 9, 2024, in Moscow. The long-serving minister will be moved to head Russia’s powerful national security council.
Contributor/Getty Images
Shoigu’s removal comes after two difficult years for the Putin loyalist, who reportedly enjoyed close access to the president and saw his political stock rise significantly after Moscow’s seizure of Crimea in 2014.
But the full-scale invasion of Ukraine quickly revealed that Shoigu had failed to stamp out systemic incompetence and corruption within the military. Russia’s military casualties have ballooned over more than two years of war, with battlefield success limited. Behind the front, the Wagner Group rebellion was a humiliating demonstration of brewing instability within the Russian military elite.
The arrest of Shoigu’s deputy Timur Ivanov on corruption charges last month appeared to be an effort to undermine the outgoing defense minister and lay the groundwork for a reshuffle.
Russia analyst and economics professor at the University of Chicago, Konstantin Sonin, wrote on Twitter—formerly known as X—that the reshuffle shows the war is “not going according to Putin’s plan, but he will endlessly rotate the same small group of loyalists.”
Michael Kofman, a Russian military expert and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the Financial Times the shake-up showed it was “clear that Russian economic elites performed far better than military elites in this war.”
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Today, on 13 May, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with Prime Minister of Luxembourg Luc Frieden.
The post Luxembourg confirms its participation in Global Peace Summit – Zelenskyy first appeared on JOSSICA – The Journal of the Open Source Strategic Intelligence and Counterintelligence Analysis.
