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Proxy Wars, Hemispheres, and AI share.gemini.google/zqi1l3NF…
The symmetry you are observing is the defining architecture of modern great-power competition. Direct conflict between nuclear powers is off the table, so the battlefield has been outsourced to proxies, guided by the most advanced intelligence architectures in human history.The Architecture of Reciprocal Proxy Attrition
Both Washington and Moscow are leveraging their satellite intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) networks, combined with AI-driven data synthesis, to act as the central nervous systems for their respective partners.
By supplying precise targeting telemetry rather than pulling the trigger themselves, the U.S. enables Ukrainian deep strikes into Russian territory, while Russia reportedly provides critical targeting data to Iran and its proxy network to threaten U.S. and allied assets in the Middle East. This allows both powers to inflict severe strategic friction on one another while maintaining the thin veil of plausible deniability required to prevent a direct conventional war.
In an environment where mutual bleeding is the primary strategy, diplomacy is often reduced to theater. This is exactly why the July 2026 meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Manila was so brief and unproductive. The talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit lasted just 35 minutes. While Lavrov publicly called further U.S. arms to Ukraine “unacceptable”, both men pointedly ignored shouted questions from reporters regarding Russia’s assistance in targeting U.S. forces in the Middle East. When the geopolitical baseline is reciprocal proxy targeting, there is very little for diplomats to actually negotiate.
The Fiction of Geographic Hemispheres
You are entirely correct in your second premise: in modern discourse, “hemispheres” are almost purely cultural and political constructs that have hijacked geographic terminology.
Geographically, the Equator is an objective physical reality based on the Earth’s rotation, dividing North and South. However, the East/West divide is inherently arbitrary. The Prime Meridian (0° longitude) runs through Greenwich, England, simply because the British Empire held the naval and scientific hegemony to dictate the standard at the 1884 International Meridian Conference.
The true boundaries of these concepts are not defined by cartographers, but by geopolitical alignment, economic integration, and hegemony:
The “West” vs. The “East”: Historically rooted in the Cold War divide between capitalist democracies and the communist bloc, the political “West” completely ignores geography. Australia and New Zealand are universally considered part of the “West” despite being deep in the geographic Eastern Hemisphere. Meanwhile, Latin American countries—which share the geographic Western Hemisphere with the U.S.—are frequently excluded from the political definition of “The West.”
The Global North vs. The Global South: This is the modern evolution of the hemisphere concept. The “Global North” represents advanced, industrialized democracies and includes geographic southern outliers like Australia. The “Global South” includes developing or unaligned nations, many of which (like India, Mexico, and much of North Africa) sit entirely within the geographic Northern Hemisphere.
Who determines them?
The dominant military and economic powers of the era. These boundaries are drawn to establish an “in-group” (shared values, security umbrellas, integrated markets) and an “out-group” (adversaries, resource providers, unaligned states). The lines shift not when the Earth moves, but when global power structures fracture and realign.— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jul 23, 2026
Russian Telegram channels say that Lavrov told Rubio Moscow was ready to follow the suggestions voiced
The meeting between Secretary Rubio and Lavrov lasted about 35 minutes, according to reports.
Russian Telegram channels say that Lavrov told Rubio Moscow was ready to follow the suggestions voiced in Anchorage (in June, Rubio said no agreements were reached there).
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Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en)Lavrov on tomorrow’s meeting with US Secretary of State Rubio:“As for President Trump’s predictions about the war in Ukraine moving closer to a settlement, I’ll ask Marco Rubio about that tomorrow.”
Lavrov will meet with Rubio for the first time in nearly a year.
The meeting is reportedly scheduled for Thursday, July 23, in Manila, where the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Forum is taking place.
The face-to-face talks between Lavrov and Rubio – the first since last September – will, according to Lavrov, focus on Ukraine and the Anchorage agreements, which, as the Kremlin claimed, were reached by Putin and President Trump.
“We are proceeding on the assumption that, at least for now, our American colleagues have not rejected their own proposals, which were put forward and are now well known to everyone,” Lavrov said.
Lavrov will likely bring a tougher stance from the Kremlin to the talks with Rubio; according to Bloomberg sources in Moscow, the Kremlin has decided to abandon the idea of a “territorial swap” with Kyiv.
According to the agency’s sources, Putin no longer intends to relinquish parts of the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, which he now plans to retain as a buffer zone.
According to Bloomberg sources, Putin still believes he will capture the entire Donbas by the end of this year and does not plan to engage in negotiations until that happens.
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— https://x.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/2079885927808135640— @Gerashchenko_en Jul 23, 2026
#Iran BOMBARDS #CIA Bases With Precision; U.S. In Shock Over Precision Strikes With ‘ #Russia‘s Help’ – YouTube youtube.com/watch?v=fIzlwGAX…
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jul 23, 2026
In June, Indian ports received more than 2.3 mil
India is importing record volumes of Russian oil, effectively becoming Moscow’s largest remaining market for crude exports, according to Bloomberg.
In June, Indian ports received more than 2.3 million barrels of Russian oil per day. Reuters estimates the figure even higher, at 2.64 million barrels per day—roughly half of India’s total oil imports for the month. Russian crude has increasingly replaced supplies from the Middle East, which have been disrupted by the conflict with Iran and shipping constraints in the Strait of Hormuz.
Analysts say Indian demand has become a critical lifeline for Russia, allowing Moscow to maintain oil production and exports despite losing much of the European market. However, record export volumes have not translated into record profits, as Russian oil continues to be sold at a discount, while intermediaries, shipping costs, and sanctions-evasion mechanisms absorb a significant share of the revenue.
India’s refining sector has emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries. Refineries purchase discounted Russian crude, process it, and export gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel as Indian products. In July, India’s petroleum product exports are expected to reach 1.4 million barrels per day—nearly 50% higher than in May—allowing Indian refiners to capture profit margins previously earned elsewhere.
At the same time, India’s reliance on Russian oil has deepened. Russian crude now accounts for about 41% of the country’s oil imports, while the Middle East’s share has declined to 31%. Analysts note that this gives New Delhi considerable leverage in negotiations with Moscow but also increases its exposure to sanctions risks and potential policy changes in Washington.
The U.S. Congress is currently considering tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian energy exports, with India expected to be among the primary targets if such measures are adopted.
More broadly, analysts say the surge in Indian imports underscores that Russia’s oil isolation remains incomplete. While Europe has largely stopped buying Russian crude directly, the oil continues to reach global markets through Asia before being re-exported as refined petroleum products, helping preserve global supply while continuing to generate revenue for the Kremlin.
United24India is importing Russian oil in record quantities, refining it, and reselling gasoline, diesel, and kerosene at high profits. As Russia continues its war, money keeps flowing to the Kremlin.
Those who reap billions in profits from cheap Russian oil are profiting from a war that is costing countless lives.India loves blood money.
— @jurgen_nauditt Jul 23, 2026
US investigating #Russia-n assistance to #Iran during targeting of #CIA bases | The Jerusalem Post jpost.com/middle-east/iran-n…
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jul 23, 2026