Much has been made of the possible geopolitical motivations behind the decision to price the $5 billion Russian-Indian S-400 deal in roubles, and Moscow and Beijing are eyeing another rouble/yuan-based trade compact. However, Sputnik has discovered that there's also a purely economic reason for the three countries to move away from the dollar. [...]

Russia has been implementing a comprehensive plan to diminish the country's reliance on the dollar as a proactive measure amid the Trump administration's sanctions spree. Moscow is not alone in seeking to de-dollarize its economy. Market players from Europe to Asia are increasingly switching to national currencies. [...]

The testy slap-down by US President Donald Trump to the idea of a European army was telling. Any notion of the Europeans stepping away from American "protection" would be anathema to Washington. That's because American power is not about "protecting" Europe. That's just the vainglorious, propaganda mythology. [...]

Seventeen years after the US invasion of Afghanistan, many residents of the country have changed their minds for the worse on the Americans. The war, by many measures, keeps getting worse. [...]

America Doesn’t Have a True Political Opposition That Offers a New Social Contract — And the Price is Collapse. The day after the election. Another mass shooting. A reporter “banned.” A dubious appointment to high office. Demonization and scapegoating — “they’ve invading us!” — redoubled and unabated. [...]

After a 500 year-long struggle for recognition of its status as a European power, Russia has positioned itself as a pivot to the East to develop Greater Eurasia, Glenn Diesen, a professor at the Higher School of Economics, told Sputnik, adding that this may spell the end of the Western-centric geo-economic infrastructure. [...]

The $5 billion+ deal between Moscow and New Delhi for five regiments of Russia's cutting-edge air defense system got an added bonus this week after it was revealed that the contract will be paid for in rubles. Taking a look at the deal's details, Sputnik discovered that it's really a double blow to the US military-industrial complex. [...]

VIENNA - The Eurochambers president Leitl told Sputnik on Tuesday that he welcomed the creation of a free trade zone between Europe and Russia, dubbing it a perfect opportunity. "This would be a perfect opportunity. [...]

It seems bitterly ironic that as world leaders gather in Paris this weekend to commemorate the centennial end of World War One, international tensions and the threat of war are once again haunting humanity. Stephen Cohen, Princeton professor of history, recently warned that the risk of a nuclear war between the US and Russia is greater now than at any time since the Cuban missile crisis in 1 [...]

Is the idea of peace and Yemen antithetical? Also, Trump is insulted the Europeans might defend themselves. And Russiagate front and center again. CrossTalking with Mark Sleboda, Dmitry Babich, and Glenn Diesen. [...]

The blacklisting of Iran from international financial messaging system SWIFT serves as a warning to Washington’s enemies, but will hasten the demise of the dollar, stockbroker-turned broadcaster Max Keiser told RT. SWIFT, a system that facilitates cross-border payments between 11,000 financial institutions in more than 200 countries worldwide cut several Iranian banks, including the country’s [...]

Government officials have agreed to conduct a joint march with far-right groups on Poland’s Independence Day, raising concerns about the legalization of fascist views in Poland. The march has drawn hundreds of thousands. Since 2009, the celebration of Polish Independence Day has become a rallying point for far-right organizations from all over Europe, some of which openly describe themselves as [...]

The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Austrian ambassador on Friday to protest over ‘sensationalist media leak’ about a former military officer accused of spying for Moscow, and expressed concern over damage to relations. Earlier, the Austrian government confirmed reports in the national media that a retired Austrian colonel was being prosecuted for espionage. [...]

The democratic revolution that ensued in Ukraine in 2014 was in fact a revolution against democracy, unleashing the dogs of thuggery and gangsterism. Someone who made the mistake of falling foul of those with a vested interest in the corruption that is a hallmark of today’s Ukraine was Katerina Gandzyuk. [...]

In pushing the SWIFT financial messaging system to exclude Iran, the US has “gone rogue,” economist Steve Keen told RT. SWIFT cut a raft of Iranian banks - including the country’s central bank - off from its system on Monday, having come under pressure from the US to do so. [...]

Last week's US midterm elections received saturated media coverage. Why? The reality is that elections in the US don't change much, if anything, because America has a regime and is not a genuine democracy. The US midterms – and you'd have to have been locked in a wardrobe all week to have avoided hearing about them – reminded me of a great song by the 1980s indie-rock band The Smiths. [...]

The list of the countries currently taking active steps towards eliminating their economic reliance on the US dollar is growing. Russia has joined a league of nations is making a lot of headway with the task, the WSJ reports. [...]

President Trump lashed out at European leaders after French President Emmanuel Macron denounced his ‘America First’ brand of nationalism and called for the creation of a European army, independent from the US. Just returned from France where much was accomplished in my meetings with World Leaders,” Trump tweeted on Monday. [...]

The Iranian Central Bank has been cut off the SWIFT financial messaging system, the US Treasury Department has said. Disconnection makes it more difficult for the Islamic Republic to settle import and export bills. [...]

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has smashed records for its Singles Day, the world’s biggest 24-hour shopping event, despite an ongoing trade war with the US and waning domestic interest in the event. [...]

The widening trade conflict between the world’s two largest economies, China and the US, is senseless, according to Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma. The purpose of trade should be to promote peace and communication rather than conflict, he said at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. [...]

After reimposing crippling sanctions on Iran this week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened that Iran should “act like a normal country, or see its economy crumble.” But, how exactly does a ‘normal’ country act? Since the dictat was issued from Washington DC, it seems only fair to start there. Is the United States itself a ‘normal’ country? What makes a ‘normal’ country as [...]