Dear Friends,

An extremely significant event took place on Thursday, March 8.

Four senior Senators (Bernie Sanders, Dianne Feinstein, Jeff Merkley and Edward Markey) must have sweat blood over their decision to go against the grain of their colleagues and the backdrop of ever-present Neocons to request Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to jump start new Strategic Arms Talks with Russia.

This is HUGE, and no doubt, in response to Putin’s unveiling of Russia’s new class of weaponry. He says that these weapons will not be used unless Russia’s territory is hit first. So, are these new weapons defensive or offensive? Putin says defensive, which makes little difference at this point. He’s got them, which must make war profiteers shake in their boots about any notion of a ‘first strike.’

The request from the Senators must have caused a ‘chasm in the psyche’ of the powers behind U.S. leadership, such that it hasn’t even been mentioned in the mainstream media.

I just checked the Internet at 9 pm on the 10th, two full days later, and there is still NO MENTION of the urgent Senatorial request. It seems any trivial word about Mueller, Comey, Clapper, etc., gets rehearsed ad nauseam. Yet when top lawmakers of America make a sound request which could save the planet from nuclear war, the idea is verboten and not mentioned at all to the American people.

What does this mean to those of us who are citizens of this land? What is it about such negotiations that makes them off limits to even mention? What are we to draw from this – that negotiations are bad and war is good? God forbid … What have we come to?

All the best,

Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives

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Senator Ed Markey Press Release
March 8, 2018

Amid Heightened Tension, Markey, Merkley, Feinstein, and Sanders Press Trump Administration to Jumpstart New Strategic Talks with Russia

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Amid heightened tension with Russia, U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) today urged Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to begin a new round of strategic talks with Russia without delay.

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Dear CCI Friends,

Putin spoke for two hours today providing an outline of Russia’s future plans—mostly about Russia’s domestic economy. He also unexpectedly unveiled Russia’s new breakthrough in defensive nuclear weaponry.

If one studies history on a timeline basis, one understands that U.S./NATO actions have been responsible for each Russian reaction over the past two decades. In 1990, Russia readily opened itself up to the west expecting a friendly response after having rejected communism. Yeltsin and Putin both offered to join NATO hoping to be part of the west. Washington ignored, but promised not to expand NATO—but then did … saying expansion was not directed against Russia. Race forward past many other such events up to today. Presently, the U.S. and NATO conduct hostile exercises on Russia’s immediate borders while enacting tough economic sanctions on the whole of Russia. Current Washington leaders and mainstream media continuously demonize Putin and Russia … then last week, announced our new tactical nukes. What did we expect Russia to do?

These asymmetrical provocations have benefited some entities, but not Russia. A lot more money is flowing from taxpayers to the Pentagon and the Military Industrial Complex as a result. Does this make American citizens any safer? I think not, but it has forced Russia to prepare against a nuclear strike into its very heartland––which was announced today.

Why on earth did we miss so many opportunities to work cooperatively with Russia––

rather than face this state of affairs today?

All the best,

Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives

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Russia Insider
March 1, 2018

Putin’s Remarkable, Historic March 1 Speech in Moscow – Video Excerpts, Full Transcript, Moscow

President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Citizens of Russia, members of the Federation Council and State Duma,

Today’s Address is a very special landmark event, just as the times we are living in, when the choices we make and every step we take are set to shape the future of our country for decades to come.

It is at such turning points that Russia has proven, time and again, its ability to develop and renew itself, discover new territories, build cities, conquer space and make major discoveries. This unwavering forward-looking drive, coupled with traditions and values, ensured the continuity in the thousand-year-long history of our nation.

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Dear CCI Friends,

Below is a Russian translation of my article, Russia Report: Putin, which we invite our Russian-speaking readers to share with their friends and colleagues. It is also available on Facebook for easy sharing with your Russian-speaking Facebook friends and relevant groups.

The link to the original English text is provided below.

All the best,

Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives

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English: https://ccisf.org/another-assessment-putin/

Шэрон Теннисон (Sharon Tennison)

ЦЕНТР ГРАЖДАНСКИХ ИНИЦИАТИВ

9 февраля 2018 г.

Четыре года назад, в полном отчаянии от происходящего, я написала статью о своих впечатлениях от общения с Владимиром Путиным, и о личном опыте людей, которые когда-либо сталкивались с ним. Причина?  Путин явно был в центре внимания саботированных олимпийских игр в Сочи и кровавого Майдана на Украине, поддержанных внешними силами, противостоящими России и Путину.

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