Russia and the EU’s messy energy divorce places both sides in a race against time

For half a century, both sides have benefited from close cooperation, but that era is drawing to a close

By Fyodor Lukyanov, the editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs, chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and research director of the Valdai International Discussion Club.

The debate over Russian gas is heating up across Europe. For instance, Nord Stream’s turbine maintenance procedures would have been a routine issue before, but now it has turned into a major political problem. And then there’s the situation regarding pumping gas through the parts of the Ukrainian pipeline system that are not currently controlled by Kiev. 

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss does not intend to authorize a second referendum on Scottish independence if she is elected UK prime minister, she told The Telegraph.

"Scottish Nationalists accepted that their referendum was a once in a generation opportunity, and I will hold them to that," Truss said on Saturday, adding "I will work to strengthen our whole Union."

"As prime minister, I will do what is necessary and right to defend our Union, just as I have already done on the Northern Ireland Protocol," she continued.

A common response from Western nations to the Ukraine war is one of “support for Ukraine” or “standing with Ukraine” as it suffers ongoing attack from Russia.

This support is generally manifest as simply pouring in more weapons so that the fighting can continue, regardless of its consequences.  But what does “support for Ukraine” really mean? Putting first the protection of those who are paying the heaviest price in the war, including the nation’s children, or putting first the hopes for an outright military “victory”, whatever that might look like. The problem is that the longer the fighting and destruction continues, the more pyrrhic any “victory” against Russia – if it occurs at all – becomes.

This article will address two of the many reasons the Ukraine war must be ended, and some ways to begin the task.

Okay. I am biased. I don’t take both side and don’t blame them equally.  It’s in my nature not to be a fence-sitter. Most journalists are fence sitters. It’s called objectivity. it’s part of the craft of accepting that the dog crossed in front of the bus and of not knowing if the bus driver reacted soon enough. It’s reporting a flipping grey area. It’s crap. THERE IS NEVER (rarely) TWO SIDES TO A STORY EXCEPT FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO HIDE THE INCONVENIENT TRUTH — even with good intentions. Especially good intentions.....

People can’t believe that if the US does something naughty the US did not mean to do it without good intentions. Sorry: too many negatives here and I lost the plot… 

One of the GODFATHER’s most dramatic episodes is the ‘Day of the Long Knives.’  Michael executes a plan to liquidate all of the Corleone family’s enemies. Everybody from Barzini and Tattaglia to Moe Green and Carlo is eliminated in orchestrated acts of ruthless violence. The Corleone family then bestrode the criminal world – in unchallenged command. 

The General Secretary of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, took it upon himself recently to lecture the members of the European Parliament about the need to “pay the price” necessary to keep Ukraine able to function and fight in its ongoing conflict with Russia. What he failed to admit was the major role he himself played in bringing about this conflict.

The Norwegian has an important role. In many ways, one can liken it to that of a fire commissioner whose job is to bring together various neighborhood fire departments into a large mutual aid pact, where a fire in one district automatically causes the resources of the neighboring districts to be dispatched in response. That’s Article 5 of NATO’s Charter in a nutshell.

Ukraine, on the eve of a decision by residents liberated from Kiev’s Nazi regime to hold a referendum on Zaporozhye Region becoming part of Russia, has turned to nuclear terrorism, trying to destroy nuclear power plants, intimidate civilians and force residents to leave the region. To this end, Kiev’s regime attacked the Zaporozhskaya NPP with UAV strikes on July 20.

‘Ukrainians offer no evidence’ says Lebanese customs official over allegedly looted Syrian ship cargo

The Ukrainian accusation has caused a 'huge ruckus' at the highest levels of Lebanon's government

A Syrian ship currently docked in the Lebanese port of Tripoli, and reported to be carrying Russian-origin flour, has been accused by Ukrainian officials of containing goods “plundered by Russia from Ukrainian stores.”

The shipping data website MarineTraffic shows that the Laodicea, a ship reportedly under US sanctions, docked in Tripoli on 27 July.

Canberra for Assange is organising a public rally, Converge on Canberra for Assange, at Parliament House to demonstrate public support for bringing Julian home and maintain the pressure on the Prime Minister to act on his statement that enough is enough by calling on President Joe Biden to drop the charges. The rally will take place on Thursday 28 July from 12-1.30pm in the first week of the new Parliament.

https://www.amnesty.org.au/events/converge-on-canberra-for-assange/

ACCORDING TO GUS'S RESEARCH, THE EVENT CAME AND WENT, LEAVING NO RELEVANT IMPRINT IN THE AUSSIE MEDIA....

Former prime minister Scott Morrison has defended his government’s handling of Australia’s relationship with China, telling a summit in Japan he sought to “resist, not provoke the PRC”.

Mr Morrison skipped the first week of Parliament and his seat on the Opposition backbench to attend the Global Opinion Leaders Summit in Tokyo.

Speaking on Thursday night, the Member for Cook said his government took “a strong stand in response to the PRC’s assertiveness”. 

“We chose to resist, not provoke the PRC,” he said.

“I do not accept second place for the United States of America.” That simple statement, delivered to rousing effect by Barack Obama in his first State of the Union, in January 2010, managed to summarize the current American strategic horizon in a single sentence.

For decades, the United States has been in relative decline, facing the prospect of someday being overtaken by a rival power. Its main problem, however, is not the relative decline itself – it’s a natural phenomenon occurring as companies, sectors, regions and countries grow at uneven rates. Instead, its main problem is a failure to recognise this condition, whether out of pride, electoral calculation or simple lack of awareness.

BY Manlio Graziano

The Western media lamented China’s most recent breakthrough in computer chip manufacturing, achieving standards in production that were thought impossible because of sanctions imposed by the United States specifically designed to stifle Chinese advances.

A report from early July by CNBC would discuss these sanctions. In their article, “US mulls fresh bid to restrict chipmaking tools for China’s SMIC,” CNBC would report:

DPRK leader Kim Jong-un announced on Thursday that Pyongyang’s “nuclear war deterrent” was “fully ready” to respond to threats. Such saber-rattling is nothing new from Kim, but it does come after a slew of artillery and missile tests.

In a speech marking the 69th anniversary of the armistice that halted the 1950-1953 Korean War, Kim accused South Korea of pursuing “suicidal” confrontation against North Korea in a bid to deepen ties with “the US imperialists,” according to a transcript from the Korean Central News Agency.

“Our armed forces are now fully prepared to cope with any sort of crisis, and our state's nuclear war deterrent is also fully ready to demonstrate its absolute power accurately and promptly true to its mission,” Kim declared. 

Ukraine bombards Donetsk with landmines – mayor

The Donbass official urged residents to stay vigilant for banned explosive devices

Ukrainian forces airdropped banned PFM-1 anti-personnel landmines on the capital of the Donetsk People’s Republic on Wednesday night, Mayor Aleksey Kulemzin said.

The mayor wrote on his Telegram channel that mines were discovered on several streets in the northwestern part of the city.

“A bomb squad and rescuers have been working on the site since the early morning. A vehicle equipped with a loudspeaker is alerting local residents,” Kulemzin said, urging people to be vigilant and not approach the mines.

Define ‘recession’: Biden’s administration refuses to see economic reality

Instead of addressing the most pressing problem of regular Americans, the president and his staff play word games

As anyone with a pulse can attest, times are tough, and every non-millionaire American is struggling with the weight of the economy.

Inflation is now sitting at a 40-year high, and economic conditions are worse than when Jimmy Carter was running the show. And yet, despite all the facts, Joe Biden and his team at the White House insist that everything is fine, like the meme dog in the burning house.

BY Ian Miles Cheong