NationStates • View topic - 2025: The Times | IC (2025)

The morning air carried a hint of coolness, though the rising sun promised a warm Texas day. The tarmac at Lackland Air Force Base was alive with activity, though an air of precision and formality dominated the scene. Military personnel in dress blues lined the arrival area, their crisp uniforms immaculate as they stood at attention. A U.S. Air Force honor guard, positioned near the red carpet leading from the taxiway, practiced subtle movements to ensure every step and turn would be flawless.

The American delegation waited near a cluster of vehicles parked a respectful distance from the landing zone. Secretary of State William Harrington stood at the forefront, his presence both commanding and approachable. His silver hair was neatly combed, and his dark gray suit, paired with a burgundy tie, gave him an air of gravitas. He checked his watch briefly before looking skyward.

To Harrington’s left stood General David Reynolds (Ret.), the National Security Advisor. A towering figure with a muscular frame that still spoke of his years in the field, Reynolds wore a tailored black suit, accented with a small pin of the American flag on his lapel. His sharp eyes scanned the horizon, his demeanor calm but focused. Beside him, Colonel James Lawson (Ret.), Secretary of Veterans Affairs, engaged quietly with Harrington, gesturing occasionally as they reviewed their talking points.

A few steps behind, Press Secretary Emma Price stood near the media pool, ensuring the reporters remained in their designated area. Her professional smile and calm tone kept the press orderly as camera crews prepared to capture the moment.

An Air Force captain approached Harrington and Reynolds at a brisk pace. “Gentlemen, the President of the Eurasian Union’s plane is five minutes out. Clearance for landing has been confirmed.”

Harrington nodded. “Thank you, Captain. Let’s make sure this goes smoothly.”

The distant rumble of jet engines grew louder, prompting everyone to turn their attention to the horizon. Moments later, the unmistakable silhouette of the Eurasian presidential aircraft, an Ilyushin Il-96 adorned with the blue, white, and red of Russia, appeared in the morning sky. As the plane descended, the honor guard snapped into position, their movements precise and synchronized. The plane’s wheels touched the runway with a smooth screech, and it rolled toward the designated spot on the tarmac, the engines rumbling to a gradual stop. The delegation waited silently, their expressions neutral but attentive. The honor guard raised their flags—American and Russian—into position as the aircraft door began to open.

President Anatoly Kuznetsov remained seated as the the doors of the Ilyushin opened and a flood of black suits spilled out the door. His own Russian security detachment mingled with the American Secret Service. Their dark suits were so similar, and their faces equally blocked by dark large sunglasses the only differential was the tiny pinned flags on their suit coats.

Kuznetsov’s chief of staff, Alexander Stepanov, was the first Eurasian official off the plane. The honor guard and band remained still and silent, waiting for the Eurasian president to exit the plane. However, Kuznetsov waited for a long moment. At first he was simply waiting for the signal. Then his mind wandered and soon got lost in prayer. The next few days would be difficult ones. He was a long way from home and now in hostile territory as far he was concerned. The year had begun with hopeful dialogue between the two world leaders. That hope had dwindled with each passing day and a year that was turning out far more tumultuous than anyone could have predicted.

One of Kuznetsov’s aides finally came and tapped on his shoulder, finally breaking the spell. He closed his prayer out with, “and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. For ever and ever,” from his closing Our Father and made the sign of the cross in traditional Orthodox fashion. Then at last he rose and plastered as warm of a smile as he could across his face and made his way out of the plane and down the steps to face the crowd of anxious Americans.

At the bottom of the stairs, Secretary Harrison smiled as he extended his hand to the Russian saying in Russian, “Welcome to America, Mr. President. If you’d like, we can do this brief ceremony and then be on our way to the ranch. President Carter is eagerly expecting you and has sent a Marine One helicopter here for our use.”

Kuznetsov gave a wide grin and waved to the press as he shook Harrison’s hand. “Splendid!” he said in his native Russian, “Thank you for the warm reception, Mr. Secretary, I look forward to the ceremony.”

The two men turned and struck a solemn pose as the band opened with the Russian national anthem followed by the United States. The two men then broke out into wide smiles and walked and waved their way down the red carpet in front of the honor guard. Following the ceremonial pomp and circumstance, Secretary Harrison led the Russian up to the waiting Marine helicopter and followed him onboard.

Within minutes, the helicopter was in the air and heading for Kerr County and the Carter Ranch. Onboard, Harrison made small talk to the Russian, pointing out some land features and telling him how personally excited POTUS was to host him at his family ranch, which had been in the Carter family since 1838, during the days of the Republic of Texas when Randolph H. Carter, a Texian Army veteran and veteran of The War of 1812, bought the original 2,500 acres, including a section on both banks of the Guadalupe River.

After a bit, the helicopter started to descend, flying low over the river and coming to a stop on the trimmed grass near the main house, with several guest cabins nearby. As the blades came to a stop, a pair of Marines opened the doors and stood at attention. On the lawn outside, a small honor guard of all branches stood at attention with President Carter and his wife, Liz, standing ready to meet their guests.

President Ryan Carter of the United States stood dressed in casual blue jeans, a blue pearl snap shirt, cowboy boots, and a straw cowboy hat. Smiling, the American made his way closer to the helicopter, waiting to greet his guest as the press gathered nearby snapping pictures of the rare casually dressed POTUS. Kuznetsov stepped out slowly from Marine One, taking a deep breath of the fresh Texan air. It was cool; not hot nor cold, but refreshing. A welcome warmth for the Russian from Yekaterinburg. He spotted Carter, who looked like he stepped out of one of the old Hollywood Westerns and Kuznetsov grinned. For his first time in the United States, he was getting the royal American treatment; a real ranch with real cowboys and cattle dotting the prairie fields. It was a long way from the bustle and lights of New York or Los Angeles and he liked that. The grin remained stuck on his face as he made his way over to the waiting Carter, giving a friendly wave to him and then to the press that was snapping this world-breaking visit.

“Kh-ow-dee, my friend,” Kuznetsov said, adopting his rather poor and heavily accented English. He looked down at his grey suit and then back over at Carter’s relaxed denim. “I believe I am–how you say–overdressed for the occasion?”

“Not at all my friend! I just have a standing policy of refusing to wear a suit while I’m here at the ranch, it’s what passes for a work-life balance these days.” Carter replied with a smile and laugh, shaking the Russian’s hand.

“I took the liberty of getting your measurements and having some more comfortable clothing brought here for you as well, if you’d like. Some real Texan outfits including a pair of Tecovas boots that we had branded the sides with your initials, a welcome gift to Texas.” The American added, holding his smile before posing for a few pictures with the Russian.

“Thank you, that will make for a wonderful photo op,” Kuznetsov said, smiling for the pictures.

Following the pictures, Carter led his Russian counterpart up and into the main house, offering him a seat inside the kitchen, Carter poured himself a coffee before saying “Would you like some coffee? Or perhaps some breakfast? We get the bacon, sausage, and eggs straight from this ranch. I figured we could give the media some time to disperse and then head outside for some private talks, if you know how to ride we can use horses, or we can walk. Whichever you prefer.”

“Ah, a proper American breakfast. That sounds delicious.” Kuznetsov smiled as he accepted a cup of coffee from Carter and helped himself to a generous dose of cream and sugar. “I enjoy riding,” he continued, “I’ve heard much of the American horse—the mustang. I have never ridden one. Out east is where the real horsemen live in my country. The famed Golden Horde left many descendants. They say in my city we were all blonde and blue eyes before the great Genghis Khan rode through.” He chuckled. “I don’t know if it is truth or legend.”

Carter chuckled as he walked to the refrigerator and grabbed out a space of bacon, some sausage, and a carton of eggs.

Grabbing a pan, he threw some grass-fed butter on it and replied “How do you like your eggs? And you’re from Yekaterinburg, correct?”

“I’m not picky. Chef’s choice. And yes, I’m from there originally.” He sighed. “It’s been some years since I’ve been able to call it home, however. Life takes you on strange paths. My wife is from near St. Petersburg; that became our home before Moscow and the Kremlin.”

“I’ll make them scrambled, it’s what I prefer.” Carter replied, cracking several eggs into the pan and getting them started before grabbing a separate pan for the bacon and sausage. Starting those going, Carter finished the eggs before plating them.

A minute later, crispy bacon and fresh beef sausages were added onto the two plates. Handing one to the Russian, Carter grabbed some silverware before saying a prayer over their food. Finishing that, Carter gave the Russian a smile and said, “You’ll have to let me know how it compares to a Russian breakfast, can’t say I even know what’s standard there for y’all.” before taking a big bite of egg and sausage.

Kuznetsov took a large bite of the sausage and grinned. “Next time you are in Russia, I will show you. You will have to try our pancakes. They are quite different that what you are used to and I think you will like them, especially with chocolate. But I could also get used to this as well. Especially fresh from farm to table, as they say. Fresh food is always superior to the store-bought, plastic-wrapped meats and vegetables that modern society brings us.”

“I agree, I’m actually getting ready to push for some legislation to clean up our food here. I think that one of the plagues of modern life is the over processed foods and drinks we consume, I’m a big believer that God gave us what we need in our food and thus, the cleaner and more natural, the better.” Carter replied before finishing his breakfast.

Noticing the Russian had finished, he added “Well, if you’ll follow me, we can get down to solving the world’s problems.”Leading the man outside, Carter took him into a barn where two horses were prepared and ready for them. A mix of Russian and American security guards stood around, a few also on horseback. Carter turned to Anatoly and said “If you’re ok with it, I’d like for both of our guys to hang back and give us some room out there. We’re surrounded by private land and I am a firm believer in exercising my second amendment rights so I can all but promise that we will be safe on the ride.”

Kuznetsov laughed. “I see that the rumors of Americans were true.” Quickly he moved over to the horse that was presented to him and mounted it. He gave the horse a few test turns and nodded down at Carter that he was ready. Taking the lead, Carter moved out and into a trail. Turning to the Russian, Carter said “Well, you’re the guest. Would you like to broach the first topic?”

“I suppose what issue has been on the lips of just about everyone for the past few weeks: Iran. The Eurasian Parliament is set to begin passing legislation to bring about the first set of sanctions the new Union has ever had to consider. Unfortunately, its bred a new wave of sanction-minded individuals who want to slap them on everyone who isn’t following the letter of the law, especially in Russia against the Turks. However, our sanctions will apply to all military sales.”

“Thank you, I think a united front against Iran is what we need. I want peace, but their actions are destabilizing to say the least.” Carter replied, ignoring the comment about the Turks for now.

“Do you think Tehran is shifting position given that both you and China aren’t going to be helping them out of this one?” Carter added.

“I doubt it,” Kuznetsov sighed, “they seem ready to accept any sacrifice to achieve their goals. I’m not sure there is anything you can accomplish through sanctions. Still, it will at least slow their ability to produce a weapon.”

“Well, how do you think we should solve that issue?” Carter asked.

Kuznetsov didn’t reply for a long moment. He took in the landscape and the soft clopping of the horses’ hooves on the soft spring ground. The wide open plains of Texas sprawled out as far as the eye could see. It was a relaxing experience. Finally, he shrugged his shoulders and gave a tired grunt. “I can’t say, to be honest, apart from a removal of their government. They’ve adopted their own vision and we lack the political capital to change their minds.”

Following the path, Carter rode for a few second before stopping at a grove of trees with an iron fence around it. Getting of his horse, Carter motioned for the Russian to follow him as he said “This is the Carter family cemetery. My forefathers are buried here.” Then, pointing at one fresh grave he said, “That’s my grandfather’s grave, we buried him last week. He served in the Second World War, then in Korea, and eventually in Vietnam. He instilled in me the value of our Christian faith… and…. A hatred of war and violence. But, he also taught me that sometimes, the righteous must use violence.” Kuznetsov removed his hat in respect and remained silent in respect to the dead and to Carter. After nearly a minute of silence he replaced his large cowboy hat over his head.

“That is a lot of war for one man. A lot of death. For such civilized people, we certainly love our wars, don’t we? Perhaps we are not as advanced as we like to think we are.”

“Cain killed Abel in that field.” Carter replied before returning to his horse and taking a sip of water before adding “I don’t reckon we’re going to see the end of war until the Lord returns and reigns here. The bad stuff in life… it reminds us that this isn’t our home after all.”

Kuznetsov gave a grim nod. “War is often a necessary evil, but it is always worse when you have to be the one to order the death of young men in your name.”

“Indeed, Anatoly, indeed. Which brings us back to Iran. They cannot get a nuclear device. It cannot be allowed. Now, I pray that these sanctions do work and bring them to the table, but if they don’t… well… other measures will be employed. Hopefully short of kinetic action, but I want to ask you straight, if the United States or her allies need to take action against the nuclear program, will Moscow move to stop us?” Carter asked, bluntly.

“Eurasian soldiers won’t die for Iran’s dream, if that is what you are asking. Beyond that, there is little we could do to stop the American juggernaut.”

Nodding, Carter offered a brief smile before saying, “I will keep you informed then, as a show of respect.”

“Thank you. Now, shall we move on to other subjects? What else has been on your mind?”

“Georgia. From your understanding, what’s going on there?” Carter replied calmly.

Kuznetsov gave a deep sigh. “The situation is tense. The recent actions of Nordland have worsened the situation. But, I’m hoping that with their new advocate there may be progress in the dialogue between the political dissenters and the elected government. The issue of western involvement has long been a serious issue, and it’s vital that such actions are rightfully denounced.” He paused and eyed Carter warily out of the corner of his eye. “I hope that American assets are equally involved in the affairs of Georgia? It’s a long way from the Georgia you know.”

“My sister married a Georgian, your version of Georgia that is so I know them fairly well. Let’s speak frankly, I get that you see Georgia joining NATO as a threat. So, I’ll make you an offer here. No more irregularities in their government and elections, they can join the EU, they can love their lives, and I’ll make sure that what you fear most doesn’t happen. They won’t be admitted into NATO.” Carter replied.

Kuznetsov gave a short laugh. “If things were that simple. The government has no current objective to join NATO or the EU. The protestors, which have been linked to western agitators by our own intelligence, want otherwise. Democracy doesn’t always suit the agenda of all the people, but democracy is the current model in place in Georgia. It is best left alone by western nations entirely.”

“Georgia’s constitution explicitly states their desire to join NATO and the EU, and you’re not the only one with intelligence my friend. How many rubles are you sending Georgia Dream and your pal Ivanishvili every month?” Carter replied with a smile before adding “Anatoly, we all play these games, but I’m frankly tired of them. Let’s just lay all our cards out on the table. We promote protests from the opposition, but only because we know that you’re propping up Georgia Dream. So, let’s make a deal. We both stop and I block them joining NATO, if that’s their wish. You lose nothing and you save money.”

The smile and humor were gone from Kuznetsov’s face. “I know that it is now common practice for Americans to call ‘stolen election’ or ‘foreign interference’ whenever elections don’t go your way. But such things require proof. We have proof of your meddling in the protests and your own admission. This is not your Georgia, Mr. Carter. And about NATO? Your country said the same to Gorbachev and Yeltsin. You said no more NATO expansion. Well…that was a lie and as the Americans say ‘fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me’. Well, there will be no second time. This is our ‘Red Line’ You have pressed all along our borders and threaten to further undermine Eurasian security with adding Ukraine and Georgia. You will cease your activities and withdraw your proxies. Georgian ascension to the EU will occur on their own terms as their own democratically elected government chooses. The EU is a sick, immoral monster these days. Even member states like Hungary and Poland have pushed against their liberalism and secularism—even you must agree with me on this. Georgia will join on its own terms and not yield its morality to Hollywood.”

“We have proof, Anatoly. Georgia Dream and its oligarch master shill for your interests. As for past promises, I can’t speak to that. I wasn’t there, I didn’t make those promises. However, I can make ones now, ones I fully intend to keep. Leave Georgia alone, and they won’t join NATO.” Carter replied, as the pair turned a corner and returned to the main house grounds. Or don’t, and I promise you that Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Azerbaijan, and Moldova will be invited to join NATO. Something neither of us want. So please, think over the offer.” Getting off his horse as they neared the barn, he added with a genuine smile “I think we should break until dinner, please feel free to roam the grounds as you wish. I can arrange for a lunch to be brought to you and your men at your cabins. If you need anything, just let me or my staff know.” Patting the Russian on the shoulder, Carter added lowly and only to him, “And for the record, I don’t like Hollyweird anymore than you do.”

Kuznetsov said nothing and his face remained set in a traditional Russian scowl. He nodded towards Carter and tipped his hat. He dismounted and handed the horse over to one of the ranch hands who took the horse back to its stall. From there, Kuznetsov’s own entourage surrounded him and escorted him back to where they were staying.

The cabins were nice, quaint, and styled in traditional Americana. Kuznetsov thought for a moment that his wife, Nastya, would enjoy something like this. She’d studied in the United States—in Pennsylvania, a long way from Texas, but still, he thought she would enjoy this part of the world.
Alexander Stepanov found him on the front porch, smoking a cigarette.

“How was your ride,” Sasha asked. Kuznetsov gave a grunt and spat onto the grass.

“The Americans love to imagine all sorts of things. It seems as though we don’t see eye to eye on very much. Mr. Carter has made it clear that they will interfere in Georgia no matter the consequences. We will have to be very careful. Turkish interests in the Caucuses will be the death of the Union and of Russia.”

“You talked of Georgia?”

“Yes, and other things. I don’t imagine our conversations will improve, but at least the atmosphere here is better than a stuffy conference room in the cesspool of Washington or Moscow.” He sighed and rose, checking his watch. “I believe Americans eat dinner early, so it’s about time to be heading to the main house. I believe I will go alone again. I want you to contact Nechayev and let him know the Americans are in Georgia and ready to act.” Stepanov nodded and went inside as Kuznetsov began to make his way towards the house. About half way there he met his American escort who took him the rest of the way.

Leading the Russian leader inside, the American aid nodded before saying “President Carter will be right with you.”

A moment later, Carter appeared smiling as he said “Tolya! I hope you enjoy barbecue! We have ribs, chicken, turkey, jalapeno sausage, beef sausage, boudin, and of course, brisket.”

Kuznetsov gave a curt smile before sitting down. “I look forward to it. I’ve heard much of Texan barbecue. We even have American barbecue restaurants in Russia. I imagine they don’t compare to the original.”

“What kind of food did you enjoy growing up? I’m not all that familiar with Russian cuisine beyond caviar and borscht.” Carter replied, giving a chuckle.

“Borscht is of course a classic Russian dish. But my favorites have long been shushlyk, stroganoff, plov. As a child I loved pelmeni.” He gave a nostalgic chuckle. “I still do, to be frank. When done properly, of course. Freshly made. If you’ve never tried Manty, I would recommend it the next time you are in Russia as well. But you’ll have to go for the beaten path and way out East to get the proper version.”

“Perhaps, Lord willing, I can join you out there one of these days.” Just then, the food arrived. Platters of meat and sides were set down between the two men.

After a good meal, Carter led the Russian back into his private study and offered him a seat saying “If you’d like any refreshments, please just let me know. If not, shall we resume where we left off?”

Kuznetsov shook his head and patted his stomach appreciatively. “I am well refreshed for the time, thank you. By all means, let us resume. I believe we were still discussing the ongoing situation in Georgia. If you wish to return to the subject, I am willing. I don’t know how much more we can discuss on the matter. NATO expansion is an inevitability that we are cursed to fight to the end of days.”

“Maybe. But you can also accept my offer. No Georgia, Ukraine, etc in NATO. All I ask is that you stop any interference inside Georgia.” Carter replied.

Kuznetsov shook his head. “Even if I believed you, that is not something you can promise. I would need to see it enshrined in the bylaws of NATO. You will remain in power for only eight years. Then what? Can you promise me that your successor will stand by your agreement? Can you promise that your European comrades will not press forward regardless? Of course not! NATO is not a dictatorship and neither is America. Your promise is an empty promise.”

“Maybe. But my other promise wasn’t empty. Anyways, I don’t think we’re getting anywhere on this today so, shall we move on?” Carter replied with a smile.

“The issue of Syria remains pressing. Particularly with the Turks launching an unprovoked attack on the SDF. Here I think we have common ground. We both have an alliance or agreement with the Kurds for the security of Syria. Their attack is a direct attack on the ceasefire and I’m not sure if the ceasefire will hold under their pressure. What is the American response to their actions?”

“I am frustrated but I think the ceasefire is more important, to be frank. I am willing to ignore this for now with that larger goal in mind. Speaking of which, it is my hope to gather all relevant parties before the end of the ceasefire. Would you be willing to attend such a meeting?” Carter asked.

“You responded directly to the Iraqi attack, but you ignore the Turkish attack? I’m not sure we can trust such partiality for such discussions. The Turkish government has no interest in maintaining the ceasefire and are using the ceasefire to improve their position against arguably the strongest faction remaining in the War. I’m not sure we in Moscow can equally ignore the attack, Ryan. If the ceasefire holds until such a date, we will attend. But I believe the ceasefire will break far sooner unless Turkey is reigned in.”

“I will speak to Ankara.” Carter replied before saying “Speaking of them, you’ve given Erdogan a bit of a scare with your deployments of Su-57 aircraft to the region. He’s concerned that you and Baghdad are plotting a preemptive strike on our nuclear weapons stationed in his country. I’m sure that is not the case, right? Afterall, I’d view such actions as a declaration of nuclear war. Something nobody wants, I’m sure.”

Kuznetsov couldn’t help but laugh. “Really? And condemn the world to nuclear fire? I assure you, Ryan, I am not as crazed as the Turks would let on. Turkey knows full well they exist within the protection of NATO and the United States. That has given them the impunity to invade Syria, commit genocide against the Kurds, and continue their age long extermination campaign against Armenians. I am more concerned of their launching an attack on Russia than they should ever worry of a Eurasian attack on them.”

“I figured as much, but I told them that I’d mention it. Well, anything else that you'd like to discuss?” Carter asked.

Kuznetsov shook his head. “I’m not sure, there are many things on which we do not agree but it doesn’t seem like we ever shall. A shame, I suppose. But such is the reality of politics. Eurasian security will always be my first priority and I won’t allow our Union to collapse because of Turkish and Western meddling. Hopefully, in the future, we can find more barriers to break down.”

“Agreed. Before we break, I wanted to discuss nuclear arms reduction. Perhaps a modest start? A reduction to 1,000 nuclear warheads active and 300 launch platforms over the next 5 years?” Carter replied.

Kuznetsov sighed and shook his head sadly. “I’m afraid the time isn’t right for that. There are too many concerns and barriers that stand between us. The fact that the Turks are so concerned about us striking their nuclear response ability illustrates that well enough. American missiles are painfully close and closer than ever to being pulled, thanks to alliances. Clearly, we are approaching a time of tension rather than detente. Until we can solve the issues between Turkey and Eurasia and we settle the issue of the Caucuses, I’m afraid that issue is closed.”

“Unfortunate. Well, I’ll leave you for the night then. Tomorrow I believe we have a casual breakfast and then we’re seeing you off to the airport. It was a pleasure to host you here.” Carter replied, smiling and shaking the Russian’s hand.

“Thank you, it's been a pleasure visiting and you’ve been a most gracious host.” Kuznetsov grinned broadly as he shook Carter’s hand. The two men separated.

The talks had not been entirely productive, but some degree of understanding had been met between the two. Kuznetsov, however, felt more than a bit nervous. Carter had proven far stronger and more hawkish than he’d been led to believe. As the plane pulled away from the tarmac and the sight of Texas disappeared into the view, he felt a sense of growing urgency. The Americans were reentering the field of play after years of shrinking back into the shadows. He felt a sudden sense of understanding with Khrushchev after his visit to the United States back in the 50’s.

That had been a different time–a different union in Eurasia and a very different United States. Still, it had been a shock to the Soviet system following that visit and this likewise had been something of a shock. Much needed to be done before the vision of a Eurasian Union, one that would rival that of Europe and even to challenge the United States, was a long way off. But, perhaps, there was a glimmer of hope?

Tbilisi, Georgia

March 9

Temir Smagulov waited patiently in the cafe of downtown Tbilisi. The air was crisp and cool, the food delicious, and the cafe buzzing with activity. Smagulov enjoyed very little of it. His coffee stood nearly untouched and cold and he’d not partaken in any of the fine offerings of Georgian cuisine. He instead remained sitting, his chin on his hand, staring down at his phone and glancing up at the door expectantly. He’d started to get some looks from the others in the cafe—mostly sympathetic. He gave the impression of a man who’d been stood up on a date and was idling the time away before he felt he could finally leave.

At long last the bell above the door jingled and in walked a tall blonde woman with bright blue eyes and a sleek black leather coat. The audience gasped quietly and beamed silently as the woman went over to Smagulov, who rose to greet her with a beaming smile across his dark face. The eyes of the audience returned to their drinks, allowing them privacy. Which was good for the pair, for the last thing on their minds was romance.

The woman set her purse on the table and unzipped it. Thrusting her hand inside she rummaged for a moment then drew out a smaller bag, ornately decorated with gold linings, and slid it across to Smagulov. Careful to avoid prying eyes, he unzipped the top and peered inside. The undeniable sight of American dollars filled his gleaming eyes. He closed the bag and looked over at the woman with a smug look of satisfaction.

“The remainder will be paid on completion,” the woman said, speaking in very poor Georgian. “Have you a plan?”

Smagulov nodded and spoke also in broken Georgian, “Yes, of course. Not to worry. I already have my contacts in country—local ones—who will carry out the task. I already have the visas to cross the border. Unless I'm caught because of your fakes, I shouldn't have a problem. Now its up to you to give the orders. What did Moscow say?”

“To go on my command.” Her lips curled into a cruel smile. "The minister is ready. Or at least as ready as he'll ever be. I don't know if anyone is truly ready to take a bullet."

“Taking a bullet for your country is a high honor,” he said. “He should be proud to be such a patriot. He’s single, too. He has nothing to worry about.”

“Not if you do your job correctly.”

“I will. I don’t fail.”

The woman gave one last smile then swept her purse off the table and rose to her feet. The curious eyes followed her as she made her way to the door. She looked back at Shubin as the door jingled open and called back, “I hope so. Godspeed.”

Baghdad, Iraq

It was a shame that no one wanted rubles. “Dollars only,” the old Iraqi general and demanded and Chingis had obliged. It was the unfortunate reality that despite all the political efforts and the unification of three economies of Eurasia into one single currency and market, nothing quite compares to the all mighty dollar. So Chingis has wired Moscow and converted the rubles into hard American cash. The general had been pleased.

Chingis Shubin was a single man in his mid-thirties, so the last three and a half years working with Gazprom in Baghdad hadn’t been too bad. Sure, Baghdad wasn’t Dubai, but he was close enough to Kuwait to make regular trips. And Baghdad wasn’t so bad when living in a secure compound with armed guards and frequenting the international districts. There was still enough oil money being pumped out of Iraqi soil to fund a healthy capitalist aristocracy.

He wasn’t quite sure how he’d first gotten tangled up in politics and espionage. He’d found himself in deep with the Iraqi elite and pretty soon Eurasian intelligence was knocking at his door. Interestingly, it was the Belarusian internal agency that first reached out to Shubin. From there the world opened up and he saw the Middle East in a new light, like scales falling from his eyes.

He’d always been a social person and his mixing with the Iraqi and Middle Eastern crowd soon drew the attention of his superiors and suddenly he found himself reporting to Fakel—the private military contracting portion of Gazprom that served as the ‘first eyes’ for Eurasian intelligence and activities in a number of oil-rich countries. Not only was the paycheck twice as good, but the lifestyle was certainly better.

As one of Gazprom’s most integral assets in Iraq, it was his job to keep his eyes and ears out for anything interesting that Gazprom and the Kremlin might find interesting. Ironically, it would be the Iraqis’ own military upper echelon that would reach out to him first.

The old general had kept things as under the radar as possible, but Shubin understood enough that something bigger was going on that a simple need for a few million US dollars. With a little pushing and a little help from Russian intelligence, he soon learned that things in Iraq were, perhaps, not as solid as the government let on. There were real murmurings happening just under the lid, murmurings that he’d long heard but didn’t think much of. Iraq seemed to be handling itself well politically. That was apparently wrong and the Kremlin was shocked and intrigued to learn about the deeper levels of Iraqi politics.

Shubin waited at the front door of his three story house. The gate to the compound was sliding open slowly on its electric rail and the large black Range Rover with its tinted windows slowly began to roll through. Shubin’s face remained blank and empty as he watched the clearly official vehicle roll up the drive. The door opened and out stepped an older man with balding, grey hair and a thick black-grey beard. He was wearing traditional Iraqi clothes and his skin was olive. If Shubin didn’t know better, he’d thought he was Iraqi—or at least Middle Eastern of some type. Of course, he knew better. The Cirassian blood ran thick in Russia’s south and the man was as much a citizen of Russia as Shubin the Oirat was. He was also one of the richest men in the country, but one that very few knew about. Eskindar Dzharimov was attached directly to the staff of the Grand Duke and worked as his senior advisor through the Romanov PMC, which had been a joint venture with the ESC. They were attached, like most of the other PMCs, to the Eurasian Ministry of Defence under the Union Guard detachments. Of course, these new units needed their own intelligence service. That’s where men like Dzharimov stepped in.

The two men embraced and kissed as old friends as they entered the not-so-humble abode of Shubin. He led the older man through the hall, through the open design living room and kitchen, and back into a small private study. There they both took seats opposite each other while Shubin reached over and grabbed the glass decanter and two glasses and poured them each a shot of Bourbon whiskey.

“I got this from the American section,” said Shubin, speaking in fluent Arabic. “It’s one of their specialties, this type of Bourbon. I’ve grown quite a taste for it. Here.” He handed the glass to the man and they toasted. Shubin sipped slowly and gave a wide grin. “Ahh, smooth isn’t it? Now, what can I do for you?”

“It’s not for me, its for the company,” exhaling sharply and setting down the bourbon. “How much money will you need for your little pet project?”

“Lots,” laughed Shubin. “They’ll need several million more—and a steady stream should they mobilize.”

“How long before they are ready?”

“I don’t know. I think they know I’m well out of my league and all of that is above my paygrade. I gave them what I could and told them I’d be in contact with Moscow directly and, well, here you are.”

“Yes, here I am,” Dzharimov laughed. “I’m not sure I am what they expect.”

“You will be welcome anyways--as long as your money is green. I will arrange a time that you can meet with the ringleaders. They are a good bunch. They command a lot of respect—I think you may be surprised at whose included.” Shubin winked and took another sip of whiskey. Dzharimov continued to grin.

“I look forward to it. As long as we can keep our hands clean and our involvement clear, I think we’ll have no problem in seeing them secure a better future for Eurasia and Iraq—hell, the whole Middle East!”

Rossiyskaya Gazeta

Turkish Air Force attacks SDF in open return to hostilities

The Turkish Air Force has launched a sudden and surprising strike against the SDF, which has been highly condemned from Baghdad, Damascus, and Moscow. Prime Minister Ostrovsky of the Eurasian Parliament called this a “open breech of the ceasefire” and “an unthinkable act of state-sanctioned terrorism”. The Eurasian Parliament was called together to meet on monday for an emergency session regarding the attack. Ostrosvky also stated that he would be in direct contact with Damascus and Baghdad following the strikes stating that “Eurasia stands by its allies and will not be intimidated. The Kurds are allies to us and to the United States. I recommend Turkish imperialists tread carefully.”

Eurasian Parliament mulls sanctions against Turkey following sanctions levied against Iran

Sanctions from the Eurasian Union may grow in the coming weeks as the Eurasian Parliament pushes forward a narrow band of sanctions aimed at key political figures, including President Erdogan himself, and the energy sector of Turkey. Oil and Gas flows into Turkey from Russia will not be impacted says Prime Minster Ostrovsky.

“This is sending a message to a nation led by a man hellbent on genocide. The Americans will do nothing since they are handicapped by their own military alliance. However, we are not shackled as they are. Their actions in Syria, particularly their recent strikes against the Syrian Defence Force and against the Iraqi state, highlights their continued violations of the committed ceasefire and towards the goal of genocide against the Kurdish people. We will not stand aside while they do this. For now, these sanctions will remain limited and only targeting a handful of business interests and banks that store Turkish money in the country. These will be frozen until Turkey agrees to abide by the ceasefire and ends its hostility against the Syrian Kurdish Republic.”

Russian Ministry of Defense Announces Military Readiness Exercises in the Caucuses to begin in July

As the political situation globally heats up, the Russian MOD has announced its own set of military exercises in conjunction with the recently announced border drills conducted by the Belarusian Armed Forces along the border of Poland and Ukraine. The Russian MOD stated that the exercise would last “about three weeks” and were a “test of Russian combined arms tactics and strategies” as well as to “implement new strategic policies and tactical battle plans as part of the Eurasian military overhauls.”

Two Kazakh battalions of contract soldiers will also be joining the exercises a part of the growing Eurasian effort to integrate the various national militaries and to put into practice their new ‘Eurasian model’ for military operations. The operation will be entirely handled by the Russian Ministry of Defence under the direction and observation of the Eurasian Ministry of Defence which manages and controls the various national militaries under them.

The exercises are aimed at readiness and preparedness with the spokesman for the Russian MOD, Colonel Antonov, stating, “The Eurasian militaries have a lot of work to do to catch up with the larger plan from the Eurasian Ministry. We have to formulate and create new units and formations and comb through our units for specific individuals to create our integrated military. The Russian military, however, must remain independently ready and prepared for any conflict, which is the primary point of this exercise—to test the readiness of Russian ground forces and to test the ability of other national militaries to integrate into our battleplans.”

The exercise comes at at a time of growing tension between Eurasia and Turkey, however, Colonel Antonov stated that there was “no correlation” with the ongoing tensions with the NATO nation…

Kazakh Police Battle with Protestors

Kazakh police were forced to call for backup from the Kazakh Army today in Astana as political protests swept across the country, protesting the slow integration of the national economy into Eurasia and the perceived lack of benefits provided.
“We are still second-class in this Union,” one protester who chose to remain anonymous for security purposes said to the press from behind a balaclava. “The vast majority of Eurasian funds ends up in Russia. The anti-Corruption legislations have yet to be passed by the Kazakh assembly and the Eurasian parliament has done little to push the envelope further. We need change.”

Eurasian President Anatoly Kuznetsov was still in the United States as the protests began to spread but he managed to speak from American President Ryan Carter’s family ranch to the American press where he said, “The issues of the internal governments remains internal problems. We are not a federal republic, but a union of soverign states. If the security situation devolves to threaten the regional integrity of the Union then we will act. For now, we will continue to push the union spending programs to create better and more equalized payments for all nations.”

”A Green Russia” Initiative Passed State Duma of Russia, Ostrovsky to Press for Greater Eurasian Adoption

The Russian State Duma has passed one of the first comprehensive energy plans that will serve to decouple Russia’s economy from its long history of reliance on fossil fuels and high-carbon industries. The plan both introduces the first stages of a national cap and trade plan that will initially offer significant subsidies to large emitters before slowly tapering down until 2027. The plan also will invest $3 billion over the next five years towards creating alternative energy solutions, with a particular focus on solar production and domestic industries.

“Small-scale solar is the future of Russian energy needs. We are already insulated with nuclear energy and we are a net exporter through the Eurasian Union,” Natasha Alexeeva, Prime Minister of Russia stated to the press following the passage of the bill. “This will invest in domestic production and manufacturing, as well as domestic research and development into new technologies that will help aid us in the battle against climate change. We in Russia will face severe effects if we do not act soon. Already we have seen shocking temperatures across Siberia and melting ice in the Arctic Ocean. This is a do or die moment for our nation and civilization.”