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by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 01:14:53 PM EST
oilprice | European Comission Calls For Price Cap On Russian Natural Gas, 2 Sep supply chain discipline --> zero
"I firmly believe that it is now time for a price cap on Russian pipeline gas to Europe," von der Leyen said [...] Nord Stream 1 is operating at 20% capacity

by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 03:35:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Politico.eu.com | Russia's energy [embargo] runs out of gas -- for now, 31 Aug omen
The price of gas on the benchmark Dutch TTF hub was trading at €239.10 per megawatt hour on Wednesday, down from €265.33 on Tuesday and well below [26 Aug] Friday's record peak of €346.52. ... The lack of a panicked market reaction to Russia shutting down Nord Stream for maintenance -- a claim that Western European politicians disputed -- doesn't mean that the Kremlin cutting off deliveries will have no consequences....
by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 11:23:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Politico.eu.com | Gazprom reportedly to increase transfer gas to EU via Ukraine, 3 Sep transit fees
Russia's Gazprom said on Saturday it would increase its shipments of gas to Europe via Ukraine, according to [Les Echos].
[...]
The company said it would ship some 42.7 million cubic meters of natural gas through Ukraine to Europe on Saturday, Reuters reported. Flows from the entry point at Sudzha were slightly higher compared to Friday's 41.3 million cubic meters, but that doesn't make up for the shortfall in gas that was expected to flow from Nord Stream 1
archived May 2022 Ukraine EMBARGO map
by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 02:53:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
yahoo! Bloomberg | Stressed by Margin Calls of $1.5 Trillion - Equinor, 6 Sep cockroach alerts
"Liquidity support is going to be needed," Helge Haugane, Equinor's senior vice president for gas and power, said in an interview. The issue is focused on derivatives trading, while the physical market is functioning, he said, adding that the energy company's estimate for $1.5 trillion to prop up so-called paper trading is "conservative."
[...]
So far Germany has introduced Europe's biggest scheme to backstop companies affected by the fallout of the war in Ukraine, setting aside 7 billion euros in loans to be made available to companies facing liquidity issues. German energy giant Uniper SE last week sought an extra 4 billion euros after fully using a 9 billion-euro existing facility, while Austria extended a 2 billion-euro credit to cover the trading positions of Vienna's municipal power utility. Finland and Sweden announced a $33 billion emergency liquidity facility Sunday to backstop utilities through loans and credit guarantees.
[...]
"Power is a local, i.e. domestic, market, so in this case it would be possible to do something governments could control," Haugane said. "But the issue of a gas price cap is different, because the natural gas market is global, and hence not that easy to manage."
[...]
The European Commission is also examining measures to help with liquidity. These could include credit lines from the European Central Bank, new products as margin collateral, and temporary suspensions of derivatives markets, according to a policy background paper seen by Bloomberg News.
[...]
"I have not seen any of the major trading houses have a liquidity issue, they all managed to find lines of credits and bank facilities and they are all making more money than they have ever made," Souki said in an interview at Gastech. "For the utilities in Europe, it is a serious issue because they are buying gas that is now all of the sudden is extremely expensive, and they are regulated by their respective governments."
HOLD THE PHONE ...
RT | Fall in Russia's share of EU gas disclosed
The share of Russian gas in the European Union market has plummeted from 50% to 9% since the beginning of the current year, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday....
Who is collecting premium from 90% share of EU market?
Russian gas imports by EU nations have inevitably been decreasing, Macron told a news conference following a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He stressed that it was necessary to act against speculation on energy prices at the EU level, adding that France was in favor of putting a cap on the price of [discount] Russian pipeline gas ...
wut
another helping of "no" cap! NO CAP!, 5 Sep
"OPEC+ agrees small oil production cut"
by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 03:21:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 02:53:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
More from Habeck
Er weiß, wie man die Herzen berührt: Bundeswirtschaftsminister Robert Habeck hat heute tröstende Worte an eine Beerdigungsgesellschaft gerichtet, die sich anlässlich des Todes von Heidrun Märting (†93) versammelt hatte.

"Keine Sorge!", beruhigte der Grünen-Politiker die Trauernden. "Ihre Oma ist nicht tot, sie hat nur einfach erst mal aufgehört zu atmen."

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 03:31:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 03:37:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Exhibit A: Macron: France, Germany to provide each other with gas, electricity, to weather crisis, Exhibit B: Macron in favor of European mutual aid to tax 'superprofits' and avoid shortages, ...

No need to continue my search for The Missing-5-Minute Monday Morning Macron waterloo tape ...

APsplainin EU ["EMBARGO"] price cap on Russian gas, energy companies to pay, 7 Sep blood, stone

European Union countries should set a price cap on Russian natural gas and seek a "solidarity contribution" from European oil and gas companies making extraordinary profits as the war in Ukraine drives up energy costs, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday. ... She declined to recommend any price cap levels, saying that should be agreed during emergency talks among EU energy ministers Friday. The bloc's executive arm is putting a raft of proposals on the table for the ministers to discuss.
[...]
Russian pipeline gas accounted for 40% of all imported gas into Europe before Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February but now only accounts for 9%, von der Leyen [eh?]. Norway now delivers more gas to the bloc than Russia.
archived Norway does not plan to sell gas at below market price...
by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 06:09:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]
vOLdEmoRT: EU suggests price cap on US LNG, 7 Sep
Brussels is examining the possibility of a price ceiling on all gas imported into the EU, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
< wipes tears >
"LNG is scarce and can be rerouted to different regions... We [want to] stay competitive for LNG suppliers but make sure that the prices we pay are not extraordinarily high but in a decent range," she told reporters.
< wipes tears >
EU countries mostly import the costly LNG from the US and Qatar, using it to diversify gas imports in light of
[INCONTINENCE ALERT]
shrinking supplies from Russia. However, some analysts warn that producers might not be eager European countries if their profits are capped.
[...]
She noted that since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine, the share of Russian pipeline gas in the EU's total imports has dropped from 40% to 9% while Norway has replaced Russia as the bloc's leading gas supplier.
archived deadlock, "divertible" contracts and stinky beggars
by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 08:14:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Bloomberg | EU Weighs Gas [EMBARGO] Price Caps and Benchmarks to COMBAT ["shrinking"] Russian Squeeze, 5 Sep Macron Monday hot cake
The European Union is weighing new gas benchmarks and price caps as Moscow's tightening supply squeeze forces the 27-nation bloc to assess drastic measures to curb spiking energy costs.
[...]
As part of preparations for the gathering, the European Commission is also assessing options to subject the Dutch Title Transfer Facility -- the virtual gas marketplace whose main index is used for long-term contracts in Europe -- to financial supervision to avoid speculation, according to internal EU documents seen by Bloomberg News on Monday.
build back better merit order
"The price premium [op margin, net profit] between the TTF and Europe's LNG delivered ex-ship < wipes tears > indices has widened significantly bringing up questions about its representativeness as an index for linking the contracts in the whole EU-27," the commission said in the document.
--OR--
As a last resort in case of supply disruption in Europe, the EU could also explore temporarily pegging the TTF to the JKM Asian benchmark as a dynamic cap. Yet that would require the use of other hubs or mechanisms to allocate gas inside Europe, the commission said in the document on benchmarks for The Wholesale Gas Market.
buh-bye OPEC. buh-bye Brent. buh-bye WTI
"In this situation, JKM would become The World Price for international gas for some time," the commission said. "The Wholesale mMarket would be therefore determined by LNG supply/demand, and not by the EU's internal bottlenecks. < wipes tears > LNG would still be attracted by the fact transport costs ["a few euros"] are lower to the EU."
< wipes tears >
In the document, the commission stressed that while Russia has already sharply reduced shipments to the EU, this option should only be considered if the bloc is ready to accept a full disruption.

"The price cap should be designed in a way that Russia finds itself worse off under a gas delivery stop than complying with the price cap," the commission said in the document. "Given that in the previous decade (2010/2020), prices of Russian gas have settled between 5 euros and 35 euros/MWh, any cap above that level would ensure that Russia would be above its marginal production costs."

EC | EU-U.S. LNG TRADE a/o Jan 2022
"Europe is currently importing around 90% of the gas it needs [...] Since the meeting of US and EU Commission Presidents in 2018, U.S. LNG exports into Europe increased by 2240%.[...]The fact is that U.S. LNG, if priced competitively, can play an important role in EU gas supply, enhancing diversification and EU energy security."
by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 09:11:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The EU imported 155 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2021 from Russia, including liquefied natural gas (LNG).
soooo how to cap US-LNG imports without capping US-LNG prices by Q4?
at USD 40 or EUR 40? Srsly?
S&P | Global gas-to-oil fuel switching to jump 80% as European, Asian gas prices soar, 7 Sep
"The daily physical assessment reached $71.01/MMBtu on Aug. 25, the highest level since March 7, when the benchmark hit a record-high $84.76/MMBtu."
by Cat on Thu Sep 8th, 2022 at 12:27:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Politico.eu.com | Cap the cost of all gas imports to EU, Belgian PM says, 8 Sep scope adjustment
The European Union should impose a radical plan to cut the cost of energy by capping the price paid for gas imported from anywhere else in the world, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said in an interview
The Plan objective—which is not absolute elimination of EU fuel consumption and waste (Q)—has not changed. The feasible domain of EU enforcement has. Establishing an explicit boundary of rationality around the EU27 is nice, given that lingering errors in EU problem recognition d/b/a sanctions against Russian gas restrain holy free trade NORMS and indiscriminately penalize ROW.
cap only on gas imported from Russia...the [sic] mounting economic crises, fueled by Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine ...cutting gas supplied to the bloc in retaliation for sanctions imposed on Moscow by Brussels
Eurocentricity will not go quietly into the night, figuratively speaking.
Under De Croo's proposal, the cap on all [EU27] gas imports would need to be implemented in a "dynamic way" [EUR-denominated value band; See EC draft] to ensure that there was still a reason [other than "sustainable" value-add/margin/profit transactions?] for traders to sell gas [produced by "third-countries" anywhere] to Europe rather than, for example, in Asian markets.

Asian [LNG] prices are currently about half of those in Europe ["ex-post": "a few euro" freight by wght + P&I + customs FTE admin], De Croo said. If Europe sets The Price Cap 5 percent higher than [JKM] Asia [index], he explained, "all traders in the world will still continue to sell in Europe, because you they still get a price that is more attractive greater than Asia buyers can afford."

epiphany however fleeting
Earlier on Thursday, Belgium's Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten went even further and said Belgium would not support the Commission's plan to impose a price cap specifically on Russian gas imports.

"A cap on Russian gas only is a purely political objective," the Green politician told reporters. "I don't see the added value in that. We will not agree to this."

EC | draft electricity market emergency interventions
NB. disposition of revenue earned by renewable energy generators to maintenance of fossil fuel P&E
by Cat on Fri Sep 9th, 2022 at 02:17:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
APsplainin Summer of '22 brought record heat, solar power to Europe, 8 Sep
The [Ember] group said [18/]27-nation bloc generated [12.2]% of its electricity from solar power from May to August, up from 9% during the same period last year. Solar energy narrowly topped the share provided from wind [11.7%] or hydropower [11%], while coming in just below that produced from burning coal [16.5%].

Ember said that without the 99.4 terrawatt hours of electricity provided by solar, the EU would have had to buy 20 billion cubic meters of gas, costing about 29 billion euros (nearly $29 billion) during the four-month period.

...In order for solar capacity and generation to match necessary ambition by 2030 --
as well as REPowerEU targets -- this rate of deployment must continue. However, Ember's recent analysis shows that projections for the upcoming years fall short of the goal, with annual capacity additions in 2026 meeting only 46% of the value required under 1.5C pathways. This is largely due to permitting bottlenecks, with several countries exceeding the legally binding limits of project development times—these barriers need to be addressed for solar to keep growing....

The Netherlands and Germany, not known for their sunny climates, had the highest share of electricity from solar, followed by Spain. Poland saw the biggest increase in solar power generation compared with 2018, increasing installed capacity 26-fold, the report said....

Ember Group methodology
by Cat on Sat Sep 10th, 2022 at 02:09:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]
My solar panels on the coast in The Hague +30% 🌤☀️ Nice 😄

'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Sep 10th, 2022 at 07:57:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]
euractiv | EU countries call on Brussels to cap gas prices, but leave out details, 9 Sep longitudinal embargo studies
...Germany, for its part, suggested that a complete ["]stoppage["] in Russian gas imports would not do more harm to its economy since Moscow has already ["]halted["] deliveries exports through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline last week.

"Germany no longer gets Russian gas and we can still store it," said German economy and climate minister Robert Habeck. "This means that the market no longer expects us to collapse if there is no Russian gas."...

archived What this means, I believe, is ... in Krugman-Admits-He-Was-Wrong! (Pt. 1?)
illustrated
by Cat on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 01:47:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
US Treasury | Preliminary Guidance on Implementation of a Maritime Services Policy
and Related Price Exception for Seaborne Russian Oil
, 9 Sep rackeeteering
As part of a coalition of countries including the G7 and the EU, the United States will implement
a policy with regards to a broad range of services related to the maritime transportation (the
"maritime services policy") of Russian Federation origin crude oil and petroleum products ("seaborne Russian oil"). This ban will take effect on December 5, 2022 with respect to maritime transportation of crude oil and on February 5, 2023 with respect to maritime transportation of petroleum products.

This policy, constructed as a ban on services, will have an important exception: jurisdictions or
actors that purchase seaborne Russian oil at or below a price cap to be established by the coalition (the "price exception") will expressly be able to receive such services. This policy is intended to expressly establish a framework for Russian oil to be exported by sea under a capped price and achieve three objectives: (i) maintain a reliable supply of seaborne Russian oil to the global market; (ii) reduce upward pressure on energy prices; and (iii) reduce the revenues the Russian Federation earns from oil after its own war of choice in Ukraine has inflated global energy prices
[...]
7. How will the recordkeeping and attestation process work?
[table]
OFAC [US Office of Foreign Assets Control] will expect the actors in Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 to retain relevant records for five years.
[...]
8. What are some possible red flags for price cap evasion?
[...]
9. How will OFAC enforce the price cap?
As described above, the recordkeeping and attestation process is intended to create a "safe
harbor" from liability for service providers for violations of the maritime services policy in cases
where service providers inadvertently deal in oil purchased above the price cap due to falsified
records provided by illicit actors. For example, where a service provider without direct access to
price information reasonably relies on a customer attestation, that service provider will not be
held liable for potential sanctions breaches because of illicit actors who seek to cause a violation
of the maritime services policy or evade OFAC sanctions. ...
10. What are examples of permissible vs. prohibited transactions? ...

by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 01:53:31 AM EST
[ Parent ]
NATO do not possess sufficient oil, gas, coal, sundry rare earth mineral reserves (category: national security) to maintain "developed nation" political economy. Instead, members rely on "functioning" production sharing agreements (PSAs) and exports from rest of world who do possess "strategic resources".
by Cat on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 03:50:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Bloomberg | Now Hiring: US Seeks Economist to Scrutinize Sanction Spillovers, 22 Sep
The department is advertising for a "chief sanctions economist" whose job will be to advise Treasury on everything from monetary policy to exchange rates to "energy, multilateral and bilateral assistance, official debt and related issues," according to a job description obtained by Bloomberg News ahead of its posting.
prequisite undergraduate degree, Top Secret clearance
That economist will head the newly created Sanctions Economic Analysis Unit, which will also hire two staff-level economists.
porfolio 37 programs, 12,000 eNiTiTIes
Brian Tool, a senior fellow at Atlantic Council who is a former senior adviser at Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, said it was about time for the new office to help make better strategic decisions.

"It is encouraging to see Treasury beginning to move in that direction," Tool said in a sext message. "Russia sanctions aren't going away, and there is great consternation among the commentariat on how strong sanctions could be used against China if necessary."

by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 10:28:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
euractiv | Next Russia sanctions package to tackle evasion, but nuclear, oil-price cap likely to stay out, 26 Sep frustrated homicidal maniacs
several EU diplomats said after consultations for a seventh Russia sanctions package over the weekend left some more hawkish member states dissatisfied.
[...]
Measures proposed by the bloc's Russia hawks would, among others, include targeting nuclear, luxury goods and Russia's IT and tech sectors as well as excluding more banks from the SWIFT messaging system, according to a position paper seen by EURACTIV. Germany, EU diplomats say, would be on board for more too, having pushed for a ban on EU companies providing finance to metal and rare-earth mines in Russia and on imports of uranium.
[...]
Nuclear energy, a key sector for countries like France and Bulgaria, is unlikely to be included in the [sanctions] package and has raised concerns among some member states over the maintenance of Europe's [old] nuclear power plants, several EU diplomats briefed on the weekend talks told EURACTIV.

The measure would have hit "the construction of facilities or installation of equipment for, or the provision of services, equipment or technology for, activities related to power generation or electricity production both in Russia or abroad". This could have affected the construction of Hungary's Russian-backed expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant, which Budapest would have certainly vetoed.
[...]
It is likely that, at least in the short term, Brussels will look at tackling high gas prices via talks with [AUTHORITARIAN] supplier countries rather than capping imports.

euractive | RWE agrees UAE supply deal: Dec 2022 137,000 cm delivery to start
A group of EU member states, including the Netherlands, France, Poland[,] and the Baltics [Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia] have suggested a new listing criterion in which assisting with sanctions evasion and circumvention could become a ground for sanctioning individuals and entities.
US memo: What are some possible red flags for [G7 sanctions] evasion?
Hawkish member states Poland, Ireland, Lithuania, Estonia[,] and Latvia had also proposed introducing a retaliatory ban on imports of diamonds from Russia, where Alrosa is the world's largest producer of rough gems....
Alrosa | Operations, illustrated
by Cat on Mon Sep 26th, 2022 at 08:33:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Ukriform | Funds for small-scale privatization to be directed to Ukrainian army needs, 1 Sep 150 SOE auctions
"The first auctions have already been announced. The list of privatization assets will be supplemented by those enterprises that are currently under ministries," said First Vice Prime Minister - Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko. According to her, as of today, more than 3,000 enterprises are in state ownership. 1,800 of them are not engaged in economic activity.
by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 04:06:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Ukriform | IAEA mission should achieve demilitarization of ZNPP - Zelensky, 2 Sep
The president said this in his address to the participants in the annual international economic Ambrosetti Forum.
[...]
"Obviously, the occupiers felt that in the presence of a free media it would be impossible to lie to the IAEA and the whole world. Free media scares Russia. And this says everything at once - if you do not allow independent journalists to the plant, it means you are definitely aware of your responsibility for the catastrophe that the plant is on the verge of, and you are afraid that the world will draw conclusions about your responsibility," Zelensk* said.
Ukriform | Russians lie and hinder activities of IAEA mission at Zaporizhzhia NPP - Energoatom
According to Energoatom, most 'global media' representatives who came to Zaporizh* NPP yesterday were Russian propagandists. Buses with Ukrainian and foreign journalists attempting to access the plant together with the IAEA mission from the territory of Ukraine were not allowed through the Russian checkpoint.
[...]
In addition, the IAEA mission was not allowed to enter the Zaporizh* NPP emergency response center, where armed Russian troops are remaining now. Thus, some armed Russian soldiers were simply 'hidden' at the plant, as the IAEA representatives were not supposed to see them. Energoatom emphasized the IAEA mission was offered a 'staged performance', in which the so-called 'Ener*odar residents' were complaining of shelling, allegedly by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
[...]
"We understand that, under such conditions, it will be difficult for the IAEA to give an objective assessment of the situation at Zaporizh* NPP. Instead, we emphasize that it is impossible to implement all the nuclear and radiation safety recommendations of the mission as long as the plant remains under the control of Russian occupation troops," Energoatom noted.
Pravda.ua | [Mikhail] Podoliak[Podolyak] called it strange that the IAEA mission stayed at the ZNPP for only 2 hours, 1 Sep
by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 04:30:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine daily briefing | Facebook , 18.00 02.09.2022 (machine translation)
[...]
In the Zaporizhzhya region, the enemy shelled objects in the areas of Novoocheretuvate, Novosilka, Vremivka, Novopil, Novodarivka, Zaliznychne, Dorozhnyanka, Novodanilivka, and Biloghirya settlements.
[...]
There is still a threat of missile strikes on objects and infrastructure elements deep in the territory of Ukraine.

The enemy company, which was based in the "Lost World" sports club, left Kherson and took the looted property to the temporarily occupied territory of the Republic of Crimea in 5 awning trucks.

In connection with the arrival of the IAEA commission, the occupiers removed all military equipment from the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. About 100 units were moved to the Atom Energomash plant, the rest were distributed in the nearest settlements.

It has been confirmed that 3 enemy artillery systems, as well as a warehouse with ammunition and a company of personnel were destroyed by accurate strikes of our troops in the areas of Kherson and Ener*odar settlements. The wounded were taken to medical facilities near Borozenskoe, Kherson region. Due to the inadequate level of medical care, most of the occupiers died from their injuries.

Aviation of the Air Force, together with the army aviation of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, continues to strike critical enemy objects, accumulations of manpower and military equipment, control points, and warehouses with ammunition and fuel.

We believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine! Together to victory! Glory to Ukraine!

In the Slavyansk direction, enemy units fired from tanks, mortars, barrel artillery, and rocket salvo fire systems at the areas of Vernopillya, Brazhivka, Dibrivne, Dolyna, Bogorodichne, Donetske, Raihorodok, and Krasnopillya settlements. The enemy did not conduct active offensive actions.

by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 06:39:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Sat Sep 10th, 2022 at 03:10:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Reuters | Ukraine says hundreds of bodies found in mass burial site

Ukrainian officials said on Friday they had found hundreds of bodies, some with their hands tied behind their backs, buried in territory recaptured from Russian forces, in what President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called proof of war crimes by the invaders.

Zelenskiy told Reuters in an interview many corpses were also interred in other sites in the northeast and appealed for foreign powers to step up weapons supplies, saying the outcome of the war hinged on their swift delivery....

Sky News | 'Mass burial site containing 440 graves' found in Izyum after city liberated by Ukrainian forces
"'We want the world to know what is really happening and what the Russian occupation has led to,' Volodymyr Zelensk* said in a nightly video address to the nation."
AP | Ukrainian president: Burial site contains torture victims
"Digging in the rain, workers hauled body after body out of the sandy soil in a misty pine forest near Izium."
CNN | Some bodies found at mass burial site in Izium show 'signs of torture,' Ukraine says
"Izium was subject to intense Russian artillery attacks in April...."

Slava Ukraini!

by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 03:41:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
My earlier post ...

UK Reuters As Main Purveyor of War Lies

Zelensky admitted 150-200 of his men died each day in the slaughter of war

24 Hours later ...

Reuters Pulls Article Bound Bodies Izium Graves

Advisory - Story has been withdrawn - Multiple bodies found at mass burial site in Ukraine's Izium with rope around necks | Reuters |

Yesterday's Reuters article

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 04:09:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 10:19:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
DW | #NAFO: Ukraine's ["]info warriors["] battling Russian trolls, 17 Sep
The North Atlantic Fella Organization, or NAFO, is a global internet army employing witty memes -- most featuring a dog -- that challenge Russian disinformation online.

"For many years, Russia has been waging a serious information war globally," said Ivana Stradner, a NAFO member, fellow with the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute and writer for the Kyiv Post newspaper.

At the start of the Ukraine war in February, the [G7] had done little to counter Russia's fake news with "offensive information operations," she added.

This information war imbalance has been corrected to an extent by NAFO, or the North Atlantic Fella Organization, a play on NATO that creates humorous memes to satirize Russian claims, for example, that it is not invading Ukraine but simply liberating it from Nazis -- ironic considering Ukraine has a Jewish president....

Kyiv Post | Outrage as Ukraine Finds Mass Grave Near Liberated Izyum, 17 Sep
The European Union is "deeply shocked" at the newest discovery of a mass grave left by the Russians in the nearly seven-month-old war, said the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
[...]
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the graves likely provided more evidence that Russia is committing war crimes in its pro-Western neighbor, and French President Emmanuel Macron said what happened in Izyum were atrocities.
KIRBY-CONTENT
Putin, at [the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)] in Uzbekistan, was told by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that now was "not a time for war".
...I know that today's era is not of war and we have spoken to you many times on the phone that democracy, diplomacy[,] and dialogue are such things that touch the world. Today we will get a chance to discuss how we can move forward on the path of peace in the coming days. I will also get an opportunity to understand your view point....
The discovery also came a day after Putin admitted that China[] whose leader Xi Jinping was also attending the [SCO] summit[] had expressed "concerns" about the situation in Ukraine[] which Russian forces invaded on February 24.
Kyiv Post | Zelensky Raises Ukrainian Flag in Liberated Izium, 14 Sep
Kyiv Post | China Isolates Russia, 17 Sep
< wipes tears >

archived PUTIN and XI 15 Sep, MODI 16 Sep  "readouts"

by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 11:22:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Indian Punchline | India's gaffe at Samarkand, 20 Sep
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Samarkand on September 16 after the SCO Summit turned into a media scandal. The Western media zeroed in on six words culled out of context in the PM's opening remarks -- "today's era is not of war" --  to triumphantly proclaim that India is finally distancing itself from Russia on Ukraine issue, as the US and European leaders have been incessantly demanding.

Of course, this motivated interpretation lacks empirical evidence and is, therefore, malicious. Besides, Modi also spoke with a rare interplay of emotions by underscoring the quintessence of the Indian-Russian relationship, as well as his two decade-long association with Putin.

The steamy part cooked up by the US media shows the desperation on the part of the "Collective West" to isolate Russia at a time when even western leaders have candidly admitted that the bulk of the non-western world does not identify with the western narrative on Ukraine and refuses to roll back their relationship with Russia. ...

oh
APsplainin | World opinion shifts against Russia as Ukraine worries grow, 23 Sep
by Cat on Sat Sep 24th, 2022 at 02:28:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Sat Sep 24th, 2022 at 03:27:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Politio.com | China faces skeptics with UNGA pitch for global leader status, 23 Sep "concerns"
China's President Xi Jinping Zoomed into the U.N. General Assembly last year CROWING  about how his country had beaten Covid, opposed foreign military interventions[,] and led the way in advancing democracy and rule of law [trans. international norms?].

Since then, China has taken RUSSIA'S SIDE in the Ukraine war. It's menaced the democratic island of Taiwan and stamped out the vestiges of free rule in [British] Hong Kong. And its vaunted economy has sputtered due to its DRACONIAN zero-Covid strategy. No wonder DEMOCRACIES aren't so thrilled about Beijing MUCKING about The Global Order [trans. rules-based order?].
[...]
Instead, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will address the General Assembly -- though now RELEGATED to a WEEKEND TIME SLOT < wipes tears > -- to project an IMAGE [trans. icon?] of his boss [??] as a resolute global statesman with innovative solutions to the world's most intractable problems.

Expect Wang to lace his speech [24 Sep] with the usual bromides about "win-win cooperation," "inclusive growth" and a "people-centered approach" [trans. people before profit?] designed to portray Xi as a staunch defender of the U.N. system.

But that verbal SMOKESCREEN aims to mitigate international dismay about China's ALIGNMENT [trans. free trade?] with Russia's Ukraine INVASION, its abuses of Xinjiang [U*GHURS,] and its AGRESSIVE military intimidation of Taiwan [trans. G7 arms sales?].
[...]
Look for Wang to dole out some HONEY [trans. USD-denominated loans?] to the developing world while he SPRAYS VINEGAR  on what he referred to last month as U.S. "unilateralism and bullying."...

< wipes tears > memorable quotes
Express Tribune | Guterres to take up 'debt swaps' with IMF, WB, 11 Sep
IMF | Debt-for-Climate Swaps: Analysis, Design, and Implementation, 11 Aug
"partial debt relief operations conditional on debtor commitments to undertake ["]climate-related["] investments [capEx]" exchanged for creditors' ownership interest in public property
reference
What is a debt-for-equity swap?
selling the farm
by Cat on Sat Sep 24th, 2022 at 08:18:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
CBS | Transcript: National security adviser Jake Sullivan on "Face the Nation", 25 Sep "busy man watching the world"
...MARGARET BRENNAN: Vladimir Putin will carry out this annexation of eastern Ukraine within the next few days. If Russia is expanding its NUCLEAR UMBRELLA over this part of the country. Does that put the US in more direct conflict with Russia? And does a nuclear weapon being used there, p-put Russia in conflict directly with the US and NATO?
JAKE SULLIVAN: We have been crystal clear up to and including President Biden that we will not recognize the sham referenda, they in no way represent the will of the Ukrainian people. And we will treat this territory for what it is - Ukrainian territory, not Russian territory. And we will continue to support the Ukrainians as they seek to de[-]occupy this territory. So we've been clear, we're not going to stop or slow down our support to the Ukrainians, no matter what Putin tries to do with these-these fake elections and fake referenda and annexation. Now, when it comes to the question of nuclear use, President Putin's been waving around the nuclear card < wipes tears > at various points through this conflict the last few days are not the first time-
BRENNAN: -But he hasn't been as cornered as he is now.
SULLIVAN: It's true, and it is a matter that we have to take deadly seriously because it is a matter of paramount seriousness - the possible use of NUCLEAR WEAPONS for the first time since the Second World War [August 1945]. We have communicated directly, privately, at very high levels to the Kremlin, that any use of NUCLEAR WEAPONS will be met with catastrophic consequences for Russia, that the United States in our allies will respond decisively. And we have been clear and specific about what that will entail. We have, in public, been equally clear, as a matter of principle, that the United States will respond decisively if Russia uses NUCLEAR WEAPONS and that we will continue to support Ukraine in its efforts to defend its country and defend its democracy.
BRENNAN: Russia has been talking about this power plant rather than NUCLEAR WEAPONS just for the past 24 hours. Where does that fall? Is this an escalating threat?
SULLIVAN: So, for your viewers, there is a nuclear power plant < wipes tears > that is in Russian occupied portions of Ukraine. It has been put into cold shutdown to make it less likely that there's some kind of catastrophic incident at the plant. It is actually still being operated by the Ukrainian operators who are essentially at GUNPOINT from the Russian occupying forces. And the Russians have been consistently implying that there may be some kind of accident at this plant. ...
Readovka | Zaporozh* nuclear power plants and thermal power plants cut off the supply of electricity to the Kherson region, 19 Sep
archived Casualty, Jake Sullivan on NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, 'strategic ambiguity', GET A ROOM, En Route Madrid, Jake Set Out Threats, Jake Sullivan Warns
by Cat on Sun Sep 25th, 2022 at 09:17:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Kherson, Khark*v counter-offensives and a NPP "cold shutdown"

Ukraine Today | The OPU confirmed the attack on Kharkiv CHPP-5, one of the largest in Ukraine, 9/11

On Sunday evening, September 11, the Russian invaders attacked the thermal power plant in Kharkov, one of the largest in Ukraine.

Mikhail Podol*ak, adviser to the chairman of the OPU [!], announced this.

"Direct deliberate strikes on critical civilian infrastructure, in particular on the largest Kharkiv CHP-5, is an unconditional manifestation of Russia's terrorism and its desire to massively leave civilians without light and heat. Such a cowardly" answer "for the flight of its own army from the [Khark*v region, Iz*um] battlefield," he stressed.
[...]
"Kharkov and Donetsk regions are completely de-energized, partially Zaporozh*, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy regions. Russian terrorists remain terrorists and hit critical infrastructure. No military facilities, only the goal is to leave people without light and heat," [Zelensk*] wrote on Twitter.
[...]
As UNIAN wrote, on the evening of Sunday, September 11, an air alert was announced throughout Ukraine.

Critical infrastructure attacked, in several regions of Ukraine there is no electricity and water: what is known
"Dear citizens! At the moment, the territory of the community is completely de-energized due to the fact that the occupiers hit critical infrastructure facilities! Please remain calm. Kharkovoblenergo is already working on resolving this issue!", the message says.
Aftershock | Ukropressa: Decommunization [BWAH!] of infrastructure has begun
In addition, there were reports in social networks about the blackout of settlements in the Dnepropetrovsk, Khark*v, Poltava, Odessa [?!] and Zaporozh* regions. There are also reports of problems with the water supply. 

The head of the Poltava OVA [!] Dmitry Lunin, without giving any reason for the problem, said: "Electricity and water supply in the region will soon be restored. Power engineers are already working." 

The speaker of the Odesa OVA Serhiy Bratchuk said that the situation in the region is completely under control. All services work in accordance with certain tasks....

well, alrighty then
by Cat on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 12:24:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 03:32:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"Hear what Zelensk* would tell Trump about Putin"

Politico.eu.com | Ukraine intends to push Russia entirely out, Zelenskyy says as counteroffensive continues, 9/11

"Our main goal is to de-occupy our whole territory," Zelensk* said through a translator on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS. "The main goal is de-occupation. We just cannot allow Russia to continue the same occupation that they started back in 2014."
[...]
Zelensk* referred to Russia's occupation as "cannibalism," but said the source of Ukraine's strength lies in its willingness to hold out. He met with host Zakaria in an outdoor walking interview, which Zakaria pointed to as significant, given the threats on Zelensk*'s life.
by Cat on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 05:00:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BBC | Ukraine President Zelensky involved in car accident but 'not seriously hurt', 14 Sep Freud
c. 1914 critical injury
The president was examined by a doctor, no serious injuries were found," he said. The driver of the car that collided with the motorcade was treated at the scene and driven away in an ambulance.

Mr Nykyforov said all the circumstances of the traffic accident were being investigated by law enforcement officers. He provided no further details....

archived APsplainin not that "resistance", the other one
by Cat on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 04:12:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
APsplainin Kherson, Khark*v counter-offensives, 12 Sep
Ukraine makes more gains, pushes back to NE border in places - video
As blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flags fluttered over newly liberated towns, the Ukrainian military said its troops had freed more than 20 settlements in 24 hours. In recent days, Kyiv's forces have captured territory at least twice the size of greater London, according to the British Defense Ministry.

After months of little discernible movement on the battlefield, the momentum has lifted Ukrainian morale and provoked rare [Russian] public criticism of Russian President Vladimir PUTIN'S WAR. While Ukrainian cities began emerging from Russian occupation, a local leader alleged that the Kremlin's troops had committed atrocities against civilians there similar to those in other places seized by Moscow.
[...]
"The Russians were here in the morning. Then at noon, they suddenly started shouting wildly and began to run away, charging off in tanks and armored vehicles," Dmytro Hrushchenko, a resident of recently liberated Zaliznychne, a small town near the eastern front line, told Sky News of the quick withdrawal.

MSN Newsweek | Ukraine Map Reveals How Invasion Is Being Rolled Back 200 Days to 24 Feb
Video taken by the Ukrainian military showed soldiers raising the Ukrainian flag over battle-damaged buildings. In one scene, a fighter wiped his boots on a Russian flag on the ground. Other videos showed Ukrainians inspecting the wreckage of Russian military vehicles, including tanks.
[...]
Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, told Russian television that Ukrainian troops were mounting assaults on the town of Lyman, a rail hub captured by Russia in late May that offers access to bridges over the nearby Siversky Donets river. Pushilin said that pro-Kremlin soldiers "are holding them back, and the situation, despite the fact that it remains difficult, remains controllable."

The Donetsk [oblast] is one of two ["breakaway republics", "Russian puppet states"] that make up Ukraine's industrial heartland known as the Donbas [DPR, LPR], which continues to be a key target [?] of Russia's offensive.
[...]
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said Monday that Kyiv "will likely increasingly dictate the location and nature of the major fighting."
[...]
Some analysts praised Ukraine's initial move on the south[west] Kherson area for drawing the attention of enemy troops there, before pouncing on more depleted Russian lines in the northeast [Khark*v]. Even around Kherson, Russia is struggling to bring forces across the Dnieper to stop the Ukrainian offensive there, the British military said.

by Cat on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 05:48:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Without You! - Zelensky's Address to Russia
"Without gas or without you? - The answer is without you. Without electricity or without you? - Without you. Without water or without you? - Without you. Without food or without you? - Without you.

"For us, cold, hunger, darkness and thirst are not as dangerous and deadly as friendship and brotherhood with you. But history shows everyone and everything in its place. And we will have gas, electricity, water and food, and it will be without you!", Volodymyr Zelensky addressed to Russia.

by Bernard (bernard) on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 06:32:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Euromaidan Press | Ukraine LIBERATES one more village in Donetsk Oblast, improves positions near Bakhmut - GenStaff, 23 Sep illustrated
Ukraine has liberated Yatskivka village (Donetsk Oblast) from Russian occupation and improved their tactical positions near Bakhmut, Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksiy Hromov said
kalerkantho AFP | Two dead in Kherson hotel strike: Officials, 25 Sep
"Today, at around 05:30 (0230 GMT), the Ukrainian armed forces fired a missile on the Play Hotel by Ribas" in Kherson, the regional Russian-controlled administration said in a statement....
Al Mayadeen | Ukrainian troops shell hotel housing journalists, staff in Kherson, 25 Sep
Ukrainian troops shell a hotel in the center of Kherson with US-supplied HIMARS systems, killing two people.
[...]
This comes as the Kherson Region, along with Donetsk, Lugansk, and Zaporozhye are holding referenda that began on September 23 on the accession into the Russian Federation.

Observers from France and the United States are monitoring the courses of the referendum taking place in Kherson, according to Marina Zakharova, the chairperson of the region's election commission.

US, French observers monitoring referendum in Kherson region

"Foreign observers have already arrived, they are representatives of two countries - France and the United States. They expressed a desire to travel to remote areas of the Kherson region, and we provided them with such an opportunity. At the moment they are working with our voters," [Kherson election commision chair Marina] Zakharova told reporters...

RFERL | Russia, Ukraine Trade Accusations Of Shelling In Southern Ukraine Amid Sham Referendums In Occupied Territories, 25 Sep
by Cat on Sun Sep 25th, 2022 at 02:22:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I confess that piqued my curiosity :

Xavier Moreau, André Chanclu, Yvan Benedetti ou encore Arnaud Develay... Plusieurs figures de l'extrême droite radicale et du complotisme hexagonal ont fait le déplacement côté russe pour jouer le rôle d'«observateurs étrangers» des référendums d'annexion organisés par Moscou dans le Donbass.

(but why do you quote only secondary sources, rather than the horse's mouth, ou HMV?)

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 12:33:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
So long Lyman! You so nearly made it to Russia

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 12:35:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
tabloid USAToday | Ukrainian troops OVERRUN Russian forces, break through lines in recently annexed Kherson: Updates, 3 Oct LIVE
A Ukrainian counteroffensive that already has reclaimed thousands of miles is breaking through Russian lines in the Kherson region recently annexed by Moscow, Kremlin-installed officials said Monday.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed head of Ukraine's Kherson region, said on state television that multiple settlements about 70 miles northeast of the city of Kherson on the bank of the Dnieper River had been overrun.

"It's tense, let's put it that way," Saldo said in a translation by Reuters....

by Cat on Mon Oct 3rd, 2022 at 05:51:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Wait! Slow down! Did we cross a red line? Anyone see a red line?

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Tue Oct 4th, 2022 at 10:35:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 07:03:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 08:51:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
He's probably kicking himself that he didn't in 2014.
by generic on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 09:11:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
oilprice | Europe's Energy Crisis Has Ended Its Era century Of Abundance

archived solidarity with Germany, Conference on the Future of Europe

by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 05:56:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
yahoo! sports Reuters | Russian diaspora in Köln holds rare rally against sanctions
The diaspora's ranks have been swelled further by Russians who left the country in protest at the invasion. "We came here to show that there are many Russian speakers who believe that Putin slided towards a fascist regime," said Ivan Belousov, a counter-protester.
by Cat on Mon Sep 5th, 2022 at 12:03:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Ukranews | European Commission Will Allocate EUR 500 Million In Budget Support To Ukraine, 5 Sep
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced this on his Telegram channel, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"Ukraine and the EU have signed five agreements at once that bring our country closer to joining the European Union and contribute to the stability of our state in the war against the Russian aggressor," he wrote. ...

Consilium | Joint press release following the 8th Association Council meeting between the EU and Ukraine, 5 Sep "readout"
by Cat on Mon Sep 5th, 2022 at 09:03:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Economic Truth | Zelensky opened trading on the New York Stock Exchange, 6 Mar
President Volodymyr Zelensk* virtually opened stock trading at the New York Stock Exchange and presented the Advantage Ukraine portal with opportunities to invest in the Ukrainian economy. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Economy.
[...]
The Advantage Ukraine initiative is aimed at attracting investments to the country. The platform collects investment projects and opportunities in 10 industries such as: defense-industrial complex, metallurgy, energy, agro-complex, woodworking and furniture manufacturing, innovative technologies, logistics and infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, natural resources, industrial production.

Ukraine offers everyone interested a menu of potential opportunities worth more than $400 billion. The portal covers public-private partnerships, privatization and private enterprises. It is noted that the Ukrainian delegation presented an investment plan in Lugano, and currently the list of real projects is increasing and becoming more diverse.
[...]
In order to create a safe and transparent environment for attracting business, Ukraine seeks to obtain investment guarantees from the "Big Seven" countries and the EU, and also wants to reform the tax system and is forming a legislative framework.

archived July 2022 bootstraps, illustrated
Pravda.ua | The Pentagon confirmed the success of Ukraine's counteroffensive in the south
A representative of the US Department of Defense, Brigadier General Pat Ryder, confirmed on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces have regained control over several villages near Kherson.

This is reported by "European Truth" with reference to The Guardian .
[...]
According to media reports, the administration of US President Joe Biden has been helping the Ukrainian military prepare for a counter-offensive in the south for the past two months, meeting their specific requests for military assistance.

Ukranews | Ukraine will increase electricity exports to EU to 300 MW during peak hours, 5 Sep
The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity has increased the available capacity for the export of electricity from Ukraine to the European Union
[...]
On the first day of delivery on September 5, it will be distributed in the direction of Romania in the amount of 125 MW, and Slovakia - 175 MW in the day and night hours of the auctions for access to interstate crossings. And from September 6 - to both countries equally: 150 MW during the day and evening and 125 MW at night to each country.
archived connecting Ukraine 21 July 2021
As Ukrainian News reported, since the end of June, Ukraine has earned UAH 2 billion [EUR 54,690,849] from exporting electricity to Europe.
Ukranews | Zelenskyy Against Shutdown Of Zaporizh* NPP
by Cat on Tue Sep 6th, 2022 at 10:29:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
moral hazard v book value v replacement cost v NPV
euractiv | euractive | Russian invasion of Ukraine caused over $97 billion in damages - World Bank, Ukrainian.gov, and EC reports

$750 BILLION RECOVERY PLAN
controversial units of measurement

by Cat on Fri Sep 9th, 2022 at 02:47:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
typo:  6 Mar s/b 6 Sep

search for Advantage Ukraine NYSE ticker symbol returns ...

Bloomberg | President H.E. Volodymyr Zelenskyy rings bell at NYSE to signify Ukraine is open for business, 6 Sep business wire
Ukraine PFTS Index, 1Y-10Y trend
Largest Ukrainian (PFTS) Stocks by Market Cap, a/o 10 Sep 2022
NYSE listed non-US issuers a/o 31 May 2021 (the most recent public data available)
NB: American Depository Receipts (ADR) and American Depository Shares (ADS)
List of Ukraine ADRs Trading on Major US Stock Exchanges & the Over-the-Counter (OTC) Exchange*: background EME directory

The Ukrainian Exchange was formed in 2008 with financial instruments ranging from cash equities to futures and options being traded. Its also worth noting that the Moscow Exchange (MOEX) was the Ukrainian Exchange's main shareholder; but in Q1 2016, Dragon Capital and UNIVER Investment Group bought MOEX's stake.

In addition, the PFTS Ukraine Stock Exchange has been in operation since 1997 and is a member of the International Association of CIS Exchanges and correspondent member of the World Federation of Exchanges.

search for Advantage Ukraine closing price 9 Sep 2022 returns ...

Ukraine Today | The "Advantage Ukraine" project, 26 Aug

Reuters | Ukraine's Zelenskiy 'rings' NYSE bell, seeks $400 bln in foreign investment, 6 Sep

The Hill | Zelensk* pitches investors on Ukraine while virtually ringing NYSE bell, 6 Sep

by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 02:33:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Pravda.ua | The ["]blockade["] continues. How to get rid of the 60-kilometer queue of trucks at the border with Poland?, 9 Sep
The queue of more than 2,600 trucks stretched for 58 km and almost reached the city of Kovel. Trucks are slowly moving towards the Yagodin checkpoint.
[...]
Several factors contributed to the traffic jam at the Polish border.

The first—Ukrainian farmers harvest and sell it to neighboring countries. According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, 625,000 tons of food was exported by road transport in August, which is seven times more than in April.
[...]
The second is that Poland should speed up the phytosanitary inspection of Ukrainian cargoes, because now Ukraine exports three times more food by road. However, cargo inspection has slowed down. According to [UA] Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Mustafa Nayem, at the end of August, the speed of phytosanitary inspection decreased four times compared to the pre-war period.

The third is strikes by Polish truck drivers, who are blocking the road. They are protesting because of the loss of the opportunity to travel outside the queue. ... This may become a difficult test for the Ukrainian economy. Highways through the western border are the largest source of foreign currency for Ukrainian exporters and a reliable shoulder during the port blockade. 40% of all automobile exports of Ukraine account for the checkpoint in Yahodyna. ...

Slava Ukraini!

Statement by the United Nations Coordinator for the 'Black Sea Grain Initiative' Amir Abdulla, 27 Aug
"The silos in Ukraine are still stocked with millions of tons of produce from previous harvests. The Black Sea Grain Initiative has started creating some space but much more grain needs to shift to make space for the new harvest."
JCC | Black Sea Grain Initiative Joint Coordination Centre Operational Update --departures to IT, TR
"As of 19 August, the total tonnage of grain and foodstuffs exported from the three Ukrainian ports is 656,349 metric tons."
archived UN | JCC Progress report, 1-15 August 2022

by Cat on Sat Sep 10th, 2022 at 12:42:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]
JCC | Vessel Movements, table data
"As of 9 September 2022, 108 voyages from Ukrainian ports have carried 2,463,991 metric tons of grains and other foodstuffs, of which outbound 3 to Egypt, 1 to Kenya
by Cat on Sat Sep 10th, 2022 at 12:57:22 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Pravda.ua | British intelligence: [World] lied about grain export from Ukraine to deflect blame, 9 Sep
Russia is waging a deliberate disinformation campaign to deflect blame for food insecurity, discredit Ukraine, and minimize resistance to its invasion of Ukraine.

As "European Truth" reports, this is stated in  the intelligence review  of the Ministry of Defense of Britain, published on Sunday.

They remind us that on September 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that only 60,000 tons of grain exported from Ukraine through the "grain corridor" were sent to developing countries, and most of it was delivered to EU countries.

"Putin's claims are untrue. According to the UN, about 30% of the grain was delivered to low- and middle-income countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia," British intelligence said.

archived wheat, "grain", coarse grain, der Korn (corn)

trivia proper use of Oxford comma. Slava Ukraini!

by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 01:10:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Politico.eu.com | France-Romania deal to export more grain from Ukraine to be signed Monday, 9/11
Agreement comes after Russia threatened to limit grain shipments through the Black Sea. [FALSE]
[...]
The French and Romanian governments on Monday will sign an agreement allowing more grain exports from Ukraine to reach Europe and beyond, said France's Transport Minister Clément Beaune Sunday.

"Tomorrow I will sign an agreement with Romania to allow Ukraine to send even more grain, because it is an essential resource for the country and for many other countries that benefit from it," Beaune told French radio FranceInter, adding that the cereals will be shipped "to Europe and to developing countries, especially in the Mediterranean, which need it for food and for their survival almost."

< wipes tears >
It comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin last week threatened to limit grain exports through the Black Sea and claimed that most of the cereals leaving Ukraine were feeding the EU market instead of going to developing countries.

A British defense intelligence bulletin on Sunday stated that "Putin's claim is not true. According to UN figures, around 30 percent has been supplied to low and middle-income countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia."

The U.K. Defense Ministry added that "Russia is pursuing a deliberate misinformation strategy as it seeks to deflect blame for food insecurity issues, discredit Ukraine and minimize opposition to its invasion."

Beaune said the deal with Romania will cover exports "by river, sea and land."

archived MY 2020/2021, MY 2021/2022, JCC "vessel movement"
by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 06:26:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 12:06:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Reuters | Zelensk* tells Russia: hand over POWs in return for ammonia exports 16 Sep
he would only support the idea of reopening Russian ammonia exports through Ukraine if Moscow handed Ukrainian prisoners of war back to Kyiv.
[...]
"I am against supplying ammonia from the Russian Federation through our territory. I would only do it in exchange for our prisoners. This is what I offered the UN," he said in an interview at his presidential office.

The United Nations has proposed that ammonia gas owned by Russian fertiliser producer Uralchem be pumped by pipeline to the Ukrainian border, where it would be bought by the U.S.-based commodities trader Trammo.

The [Ukraine] pipeline is designed to pump up to 2.5 million tonnes of ammonia per year from Russia's Volga region to Ukraine's Black Sea port of Pivdennyi, known as Yuzhny in Russian, near Odesa.

It was shut down [by Ukraine] fter Russia sent its troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24.

archived S&P Commodity Insights, Odesa, Chornomorsk, Pivdenny ports, JCC Progress report, 1-15 August 2022 including ammonia
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 05:47:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
S&P to PUTIN LIARS worldwide: Platts to resume use of market information for Ukrainian corn and wheat
Effective Sept. 22, Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, will resume the use of bids, offers, trades and indicative market values for corn and wheat loading from Ukraine.

Platts will now consider this information for its assessments.

Where verifiable market data cannot be observed, Platts may make use of other relevant market information as well as the effect of movements in related markets through spread differentials

Slava Ukraini!
by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 02:08:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Meanwhile...

by Bernard (bernard) on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 01:14:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
published 13 Sep, while the iron is HOT!

The Kyiv Security Compact International Guarantees for Ukraine: Recommendations, 9 pp (EN)

The Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances [1994] proved worthless. No sufficiently robust, legally and politically binding measures were in place to deter Russian aggression. Unless Ukraine is provided with unique and effective security guarantees - embedded in an eventual peace process - there is no reason to believe that this will not happen again. Ukraine is on the path to EU membership and as a future EU member will benefit from the EU's own mutual defence clause. Ukraine's aspiration to join NATO and benefit from its mutual defence arrangements is safeguarded in its Constitution [sic]. This aspiration is the sovereign decision of Ukraine. Both NATO and EU membership will significantly bolster Ukraine's security in the long-term. However, Ukraine needs security guarantees now.
< wipes tears >
KEY RECOMMENDATION$
• The strongest security guarantee for Ukraine lies in its capacity to defend itself against an aggressor under the UN Charter's article 51. To do so, Ukraine needs the resources to maintain a significant defensive force capable of withstanding the Russian Federation's armed forces and paramilitaries.
• This requires a multi-decade effort of sustained investment in Ukraine's defence industrial base, scalable weapons transfers and intelligence support from allies, intensive training missions and joint exercises under the European Union and NATO flags.
• The security guarantees will be positive; they lay out a range of commitments made by a group of guarantors, together with Ukraine. They need to be binding based on bilateral agreements, but brought together under a joint strategic partnership document - called the Kyiv Security Compact.
• The Compact will bring a core group of allied countries together with Ukraine. This could include the US, UK, Canada, Poland, Italy, Germany, France, Australia, Turkey, and Nordic, Baltic, Central and Eastern European countries.

A broader group of international partners including Japan [!], South Korea [!], among others, should also support a set of non-military guarantees based on sanctions. It would include snapback sanctions ["evergreen" TOU], which are automatically re-applied in case of further Russian aggression. A legal framework should be developed which will allow authorities to seize the property of the aggressor, its sovereign funds and reserves, and the assets of its citizens and entities on the sanctions list. The funds raised should be directed to repair the war damage inflicted on Ukraine.

The guarantees framework may be supplemented by additional agreements, dealing with specific issues not covered in the layers of guarantees discussed in this document. It may include an agreement, or set of agreements, between Ukraine and countries producing anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense equipment to provide Ukraine with modern and effective air defense and anti-missile defense systems in sufficient quantity to ensure a "closed sky" from air attacks.

The package of guarantees may additionally include regional agreements on the Black Sea [FKA Montreux] with Turkey and other littoral states like Romania and Bulgaria.

VICTORY!
A. SECURITY GUARANTEES - COMMITMENTS BY A CORE GROUP OF GUARANTORS REGARDING UKRAINE'S SELF-DEFENCE CAPABILITIES AND CAPACITIES TO DETER AN ATTACK

CONCEPT AND PRINCIPLES
[...]
The guarantees must not constrain Ukraine to limit the size or strength of its armed forces. Nor should they be drawn in exchange for a specific status, such as neutrality, or put other obligations or restraints on Ukraine. With those guarantees, Ukraine will sustain its capacity to ensure its self-defence. Their aim is to strengthen Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political independence within its internationally recognized borders. The guarantees should also support Ukraine's commitment to continuing democratic reforms, as specified in the European Council Conclusions of June 23-24, 2022 on granting Ukraine EU candidate status. Effective security for Ukraine is closely related to a modern society that guarantees its citizens their fundamental rights....

Ukriform | Security guarantees are not an alternative to Ukraine's membership in NATO - Yermak
"This is definitely not an alternative to Ukraine's course toward NATO membership, 100 percent. Because it (Euro-Atlantic integration - ed.), first of all, is in our Constitution and, of course, it is for the time being, while Ukraine is not a member of NATO," Yermak said....
by Cat on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 at 05:05:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]
To achieve thi$$$, Ukraine will need the group of international guarantors to:
  • Provide financial aid and direct investments, including through future reconstruction instruments, to support the national defence budget, as well as ensuring financial assistance (including non-repayable grants) to restore the infrastructure of Ukraine, which was destroyed or damaged by military actions.
  • Allocate reconstruction funds, including non-repayable financial assistance, towards supporting and building Ukraine's new national defence industrial base.
  • Offer technology transfers and arms export.
  • Coordinate closely among each other to supply capabilities, military equipment, ammunition, and services.
  • Establish regular training exercises to Ukrainian forces.
  • Establish a cooperation program on cyber defence and security; and countering cyber threats.
  • An enhanced intelligence cooperation, including frequent sharing of intelligence and establishing a regular cooperation between the intelligence services of Ukraine and guarantor states.
Nothing screams peace treaty and an armistice quite like "non-repayable financial assistance" AND "non-repayable grants".
by Cat on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 at 05:31:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]
automaticity has entered the room.
by Cat on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 at 05:40:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
DW | Ukraine pushes for security guarantees in new world order (FP headline:"Ukraine calls for post-war security guarantees"), 16 Sep
In a new blueprint for a postwar order, several countries are to guarantee Ukraine's security as a precursor to NATO membership. Russia has expressed its disapproval in no uncertain terms.

John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the US National Security Council, said he had seen a shift in momentum after Ukrainian forces recaptured vast areas in the northeast around the city of Kharkiv in recent days.

[INCONTINENCE ALERT]
Others are more skeptical.

Eberhard Zorn, inspector general of the Bundeswehr, the German army, sees at best "counterattacks that can be used to win back towns or individual sections of the front, but not to push Russia back on a broad front," as he told German news magazine Focus on Saturday.

From its recent position of relative strength, the Ukrainian leadership has now presented a security concept for the postwar period.....

homicidal maniacs FTW! Slava Ukraini!
by Cat on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 03:07:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
UNGA running time 11:39:34, Zelensk* Zoom call 01:44:28

Ukriform | Zelensk*  five points of peace formula, 22 Sep

"All five items of our formula - punishment for aggression, protection of life, restoration of security and territorial integrity, security guarantees and determination to defend oneself - this is the formula of crime and punishment, which is already well known to Russia," he said.

The only thing missing from this formula is neutrality, he added. "Those who speak of neutrality, when human values ​​and peace are under attack, mean something else. They talk about indifference. Everyone for themselves - here is what they say," the president explained. "This is what creates the conditions for war."

Slava Ukraini!
by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 08:27:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Fri Sep 23rd, 2022 at 09:48:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
On Twitter this video and account was quickly suspended ...

US Soldiers in Izium

"Hey boys, where are we? Izium."

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 at 06:38:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The same trope has been used by Russian "communication" before: these are no longer "Ukrainian Nazis" but NATO soldiers, black and English speaking. Because "NATO soldiers" can only be Americans and black - casual racism is very much alive in Russia.

Official Russian cheer-leading cannot admit being possibly defeated by their "colonials"; nothing new: back in the 1950s, France couldn't admit being defeated by the Vietnamese and the Algerians; yet this is precisely what happened. Russia's colonial empire is following the same path.

by Bernard (bernard) on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 at 08:02:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The black ones in winter camo must be behind the camera.
Good catch!
by Cat on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 at 11:23:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Directly from the source (Russia state TV):
"There are no Ukrainians left in some cities near Kharkiv. There are the British, some negroes, speaking English, commanding and reporting in the English language to some English commanders."

by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 08:17:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]
MSN | Malcolm Nance Reports from Ukraine After Joining Foreign Legion, Tells CNN: 'There Are No Nazis in This Country', Apr 2022
yahoo! NBC Universal | Malcolm Nance details experience in Ukraine and global extremism, July 2022
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 04:27:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
International Legion
"They were Malcom Nance."
Slava Ukraini!
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 05:00:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Police have arrested the man responsible for assaulting two Ukrainian women in France. While the man was initially believed to be Russian, a press release by the prosecutor in Nice on Wednesday has revealed the assailant is in fact a former Ukrainian soldier.
[...]
On Tuesday, French police arrested a man who had confessed to attacking the two women. He turned out to be a 33-year-old man who had arrived in France seven months ago after having previously served in the Ukrainian military. Police say the man admitted assaulting the women, but downplayed the severity of his attack and insisted he merely "slapped" them, as reported by the 20 Minutes news outlet. The Ukrainian also stated that he thought the women he attacked were Russian nationals because of their "Russian accent."
Slava Ukraini!
The Ukrainian embassy in France had assured, through a tweet, that it "cooperated with the French authorities for a rapid investigation", denouncing a "heinous incident".
free uighur!
by Cat on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 06:48:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
«Je n'imaginais pas vivre ça en France» : Alina, réfugiée ukrainienne, victime d'une violente agression - Le Parisien.fr
Note du 16 septembre : Le procureur de Nice Xavier Bonhomme a indiqué dans un communiqué publié le 14 septembre que l'agresseur avait été interpellé et interrogé en garde à vue. Présenté au départ comme une Russe, il serait en réalité d'origine ukrainienne. L'homme a reconnu les violences en les minimisant et sera jugé le 17 novembre 2022 par le tribunal correctionnel pour des faits de « violence en raison de la race, de l'ethnie ou de la religion ». Il encourt jusqu'à trois ans de prison et 45 000 euros d'amende.
by Bernard (bernard) on Sun Sep 18th, 2022 at 08:38:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]
For years, there's been a pandemic of Russian oligarchs all over the world suddenly seized with an irresistible urge to throw themselves through higher floors open windows. A new variant in this epidemic clumsiness: falling off a boat. Start of a new trend?

Putin's Man in the Far East Dies in Bizarre Fall From Boat

A Russian executive tasked with helping to oversee development in the country's Far East died in a bizarre fall from a moving boat just days after attending an economic forum with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ivan Pechorin's death was confirmed by the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation, where he had served as aviation director. The corporation has been tasked by the Russian government with developing resources in the Far East and Arctic. Pechorin was reportedly in charge of developing aviation accessibility in the Far East by modernizing airport infrastructure and constructing new runways, among other things.

by Bernard (bernard) on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 08:42:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Bernard (bernard) on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 12:38:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 08:35:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Take the elevator instead...

by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 04:49:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
That's a good idea for American CEOs as well. (Do Russian ones also sell their stock before falling?)
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 06:34:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
A new Russian trend: Defenestroika.
by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 23rd, 2022 at 12:05:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
8-min techno cover by muh-jeebus-jubilee-right-around-the-corner

reference
Studs Terkel, Hard Times, 1986. paper and archive.org
WaPoo | THE JUMPERS OF '29, Oct 1987 LOL!
"The New York correspondent for one of London's sensationalist tabloids wired home that lower Broadway was clogged with corpses."

Toronto Star | The myth of post-crash pavement suicides, Jan 2009 LOL!
"It's Thursday, Oct. 24, 1929: a black day in economic history. The New York Times reports that 11 speculators have taken their lives amid the onset of a market meltdown. But wait. Of those 11 suicides, none actually involved a plunge onto Wall Street. And yet..."

History101.com | Myth or fact: Did investors really jump out of windows after the 1929 stock market crash?, 24 Sep 2022 LOL!

They were confused
During the stock market crash, around $50 billion US dollars were lost. Everyone was confused and devastated at the numbers, but they didn't jump out their office windows on Black Thursday. Instead, they walked around Wall Street in a state of shock.

The suicide rate increased in the United States during the Great Depression, but that's across the entire nation -- not the stock investors on Black Thursday. So, where did the rumor originate? Well, there's one small truth....

The story changed over time
There was one suicide during the stock market crash, but the day after Black Thursday, not on that day. It was reported by none other than Winston Churchill [!], who was visiting New York and saw a man jump out of a window of a 15-story building....

by Cat on Sat Sep 24th, 2022 at 07:09:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]
APsplainin: "Zelensk* then held a signing ceremony of his own in Kyiv, releasing video of him putting pen to papers that he said were a formal NATO membership request."
by Cat on Fri Sep 30th, 2022 at 04:13:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
NATO Secretary General at the European Parliament, 27 SEP 2022, A/V (EN) "paradox" and "escalation" sermon, running time 00:16:16
aa.com.tr | Ukraine applies for NATO membership under accelerated procedure, 30 Sep
It was only minutes after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed documents on the establishment of four new regions in Russia that Zelensk* said "de facto Ukraine made its way" to the alliance.

"De facto, we have already made our way to NATO. De facto, we have already proven our compatibility with the Alliance's standards. They are real for Ukraine - real on the battlefield and in all aspects of our cooperation.

"We trust each other, we help each other, and we protect each other. This is the Alliance," the Ukrainian leader said on Telegram.

"De facto. Today, Ukraine is submitting an application to do this de jure. According to a procedure that will fit our goal to protect our entire community. In an expedited manner. We are taking our decisive step by signing Ukraine's application for accelerated membership in NATO," he wrote.

NATO (a/o 30.09.22) AL, ME*, MK*, TR*; EU: BE, BG, HR, CZ, DK, ES, EE, FR, DE, GR, HU, IT, LV, LA, LX, NL, PL, PT, RO, SI, SK; EEA: IS, NO; UK, US, CA
Telesur | US and NATO Commit to Ukrainian Territorial Integrity, 30 Sep
On Friday, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary Jens Stoltenberg expressed their "firm commitment" to "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine." Their statements came after the ceremony by which President Vladimir Putin signed the accession treaties of the Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporizh* regions to Russia.

During a phone conversation, Sullivan and Stoltenberg shared their concern about Russia's "illegitimate" attempts to annex territory from Ukraine through referendums. [...] The phone call coincides with the Ukrainian request to join NATO, which President Volodymyr Zelensk* made in response to the admission of the four regions to the Russian federation. ...

NATO | Press point with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, 30 Sep "As delivered)" + Q&A
...This land grab is illegal and illegitimate. NATO Allies do not, and will not, recognise any of this territory as part of Russia. We call on all states to reject Russia's blatant attempts at territorial conquest.

These lands are Ukraine. Donetsk is Ukraine. Luhansk is Ukraine. Kherson is Ukraine. Zaporizhzh* is Ukraine. Just like Crimea is Ukraine.
[...]
NATO is not party to the conflict. But we provide support to Ukraine so it can uphold its right for self-defence, enshrined in the UN Charter. Ours is a defensive Alliance. We stand united and determined
to defend and protect every NATO Ally. And every inch of Allied territory....

whitehouse | Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Call with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, 30 Sep IMDB loaded 5 Reqwiaments waiver
wc: 79
by Cat on Fri Sep 30th, 2022 at 08:56:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]
C-SPAN | White House Daily Briefing with Jake "The Snake" Sullivan, 30 Sep
Q1:[@11:22] Ukraine is seeking acelerated membership in NATO. Is that something that is possible or something you would seriously consider?
SULLIVAN: The United States has been clear for decades that we support an open door policy for NATO, any decision on NATO membership is between the thirty allies and the countries aspiring to join. Right now, our view is that the best way for us to support Ukraine is through practical, on-the-ground support in Ukraine and the process in Brussels should be taken up at a different time.
minval.az | "'Now we cannot accept Ukraine into NATO, this decision is made through a meeting of 30 partner countries,' he added. In addition, Stoltenberg noted that NATO would not advise Ukraine to reduce combat activity in order to avoid escalation."
Q2.1: Thanks, Jake. In his speech this morning the president called the Nord Stream pipeline attack, quote, a deliberate act of sabotage [unquote], and he said now the Russians are pumping out misinformation and lies about it. Should we take that to mean, the US now believes Russia was likely responsible for the act of sabotage?
SULLIVAN: Well, first, Russia has done what it frequently does: When it is responsible for something which is make accusations that it was really someone else who did it. We've seen this repeatedly over time. But the president was also clear today that there is more work to do on the investigation before the United State government is prepared to make an attribution in this case. One of the practical reasons for that is, because gas is emanating from these pipelines, the Danish authorities and other authorities involved can't actually get down to the source of the leak to do forensics on what appears to be an explosion. So we will have to wait until a combination of physical inspection, intelligence gathering, and consultation with our allies can make a definitive determination. But what we can say uniquivocally is, the suggestion Russia has made about the United States and other countries are flat out false. Russia knows they're false, but, of course, this is part of their playbook.
Readovka: "The Nord Stream operator plans to fix leaks on the gas pipeline by Monday, October 3. According to a company representative, it is impossible to draw unambiguous conclusions about the timing before experts assess the scale of the consequences, writes Reuters."
Q2.2: But how many countries are even capable of carrying out the kind of attack we saw with hundreds of kilograms of explosives two hundred fifty feet below the surface of the sea?
SULLIVAN: Not many. And I think this is obviously an act of sabotage that took place. We believe in the neighborhood of seventy to eighty meters, two hundred thirty to two hundred seventy feet under the ocean. You know, that takes some degree of sophistication. I dont't want to get ahead of myself....
Look, this is not a Snowden kind of thing. I think what he did was wrong. He went too far. He gave away too much. Unlike Snowden who was a contractor, I was in NSA. I believe in the agency. So what I'm willing to give you will be limited, but we're talking because everyone is getting the story wrong, and we have to get it right. We have to understand these new weapons. The stakes are too high. We did stuxnet. It's a fact. You know, we came so fucking close to disaster, and we're still on the edge. It was a huge, multinational, interagency operation. In the US, it was CIA, NSA, and the military Cyber Command. From Britain we used raw intel out of GCHQ. But the main partner was Israel. Over there Mossad ran the show, and the technical work was done by Unit 8200. Israel is really the key to the story.

Inside The Rock, we were furious. The Israelis took our code, the delivery system, and changed it. Then, on their own, without our agreement, they just fucking launched it. 2010. Around the same time they started killing Iranian scientists. Then, they fucked up the code. Instead of hiding, the code started shutting down computers. So naturally people noticed. Because they were in a hurry, they opened Pandora's box. They let it out, then it spread all over the world.
Zero Days

by Cat on Sat Oct 1st, 2022 at 05:56:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]
machine trans.: The Nord Stream AG company has informed the Danish Energy Agency that a stable pressure now appears to have been achieved on the two Nord Stream 1 pipelines. This indicates that the blow-out of gas from the last two leaks has now also been completed.

'Twas foretold! Gah bless de fish!

by Cat on Sun Oct 2nd, 2022 at 04:37:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"The Rock" s/b the ROC, Remote Operations Center
as in
Fresh from the surge, I went to work at NSA in '07 in a supervisory capacity. Fort Meade. You know, I commuted to that massive complex every single day. I was in TAO-S321, "The ROC." TAO is Tailored Access Operations. It's where the NSA hackers work. Of course, we didn't call them that. On-net operators, they're the only people at NSA allowed to break in or attack on the internet. Inside TAO headquarters in the ROC, Remote Operations Center. If the US government wants to get in somewhere, it goes to the ROC. I mean, we were flooded with requests, so many that we could only do about 30% of the missions that were requested of uat one time throuth the web, but also by hijacking shipments of parts. You know, sometimes the CIA would assist in putting implants in machines, so once inside a target network, we could just watch or we could attack. We never called it stuxnet. That was the name invented by the antivirus guys.
Zero Days
by Cat on Sun Oct 2nd, 2022 at 04:46:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Trapped like rats without visas!
by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 02:19:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Russians don't need a visa to go to Turkey.

by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 04:40:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Daily Sabah | Erdoğan says discussed with Putin flights from Russia to Turkish Cyprus, 22 Sep
Ministry of Tourism
Flights from Russia would provide support for the economy there, given the potential tourism income, Erdoğan was quoted as telling reporters in New York, where he attended the annual U.N. General Assembly of world leaders.

"If direct flights start from Russia to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, we will of course be pleased," Erdoğan said.

BASTID!
Turkish media reported TRNC Transport Minister Erhan Arıklı as saying that two Russian airlines were interested in starting flights to the new Ercan Airport, which will be opened on Nov. 15.
Daily Sabah | Russians can claim asylum in EU, bloc's migration spox says, 22 Sep teaser
"This is an unprecedented situation," Anita Hipper, a spokesperson responsible for migration said. Applications would need to be considered on a case-by-case basis, Hipper said, adding work was ongoing with EU member states to find a joint approach.

Czechia Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky struck a different tone on Thursday, however, saying the country would not give refuge to Russians who refused military service....

by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 07:29:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
tabloid Türkiye | Final Destinations , 22 Sep
Tickets for the Moscow-Belgrade flights operated by Air Serbia, the only European carrier besides Turkish Airlines to maintain flights to Russia despite a European Union flight embargo, quickly sold out for the next several days. The price for flights from Moscow to Istanbul or Dubai increased within minutes before jumping again, reaching as high as 9,200 euros ($9,119) for a one-way economy class fare....
BASTID!
The head of the Duma's defense committee, Andrei Kartapolov, said there would be no additional restrictions on reservists leaving Russia based on this mobilization. But he also advised individuals who could be eligible for the call-up against "traveling to resorts in Türkiye."

"Spend your vacation at the resorts of Crimea < wipes tears > or (Russia's southern) Krasnodar region," Russian media quoted Kartapolov as saying.

SOLD OUT!
A group based in Serbia, called Russians, Belarussians, Ukrainians[,] and Serbs Together Against War, tweeted that there were no available flights to Belgrade from Russia until mid-October. Flights to Türkiye, Georgia[,] or Armenia also sold out, according to the Belgrade-based group.

by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 08:09:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
APsplainin Moscow tries to draft fleeing Russian men at the borders, 28 Sep UPDATE
Volunteers on the Georgian side of the border also have brought water, blankets and other assistance. ... North Ossetia restricted many passenger cars from entering its territory, and set up a draft office at the Verkhy Lars border crossing, Russian news agencies said. ... Another such draft checkpoint was set up in Russia along the Finnish border, according to the independent Russian news outlet Meduza.
[...]
Protesters carrying Georgian and Ukrainian flags and signs like "Russia Kills" greeted Russians at the border Wednesday. Giga Lemonjava of the political party Droa, which organized the protest, said the evacuees [?] threaten Georgia's security and economy.
[...]
There also are long lines at the border with Kazakhstan, which has taken in more than 98,000 [!] Russians in the past week.
by Cat on Wed Sep 28th, 2022 at 07:44:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BASTIDS!, 23 Sep
"Deserters threatened with serious repression can, as a rule, obtain international protection in Germany," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in an interview with the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

"Anyone who courageously opposes Putin's regime and thereby falls into great danger, can file for asylum on grounds of political persecution," she said.

German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann tweeted using the hashtag "partial mobilization" that "apparently, many Russians are leaving their homeland -- anyone who hates Putin's path and loves liberal democracy is welcome in Germany."

oil and water
Since February 24, Germany has taken in around 1 million Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion [+ 1.4M MENA 'fugees], but also welcomed Russian dissidents. According to Faeser, 438 Russian dissidents, including journalists, have also benefited from an accelerated process to obtain protection in Germany.

However, she pointed out that political asylum is not automatically granted; applicants are first subjected to security checks....

tell that to FI, PL, ES, LV, LT human rights watch!
On Wednesday, officials from the EU's Baltic member states said they will not offer refuge to any Russians fleeing Moscow's partial mobilization. Earlier this week, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania closed their borders to most Russian citizens in response to the wide domestic support in Russia for the war in Ukraine....
by Cat on Fri Sep 23rd, 2022 at 06:36:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Reuters | Russia, Ukraine announce major surprise prisoner swap, 22 Sep
Russia and Ukraine carried out an unexpected prisoner swap on Wednesday, the largest since the war began and involving almost 300 people, including 10 foreigners and the commanders who led a prolonged Ukrainian defence of Mariupol earlier this year.

The foreigners released included two Britons and a Moroccan who had been sentenced to death in June after being captured fighting for Ukraine. Also freed were three other Britons, two Americans, a Croatian, and a Swedish national.
[...]
Zelensk* thanked Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan for his help and said five senior Ukrainian commanders would remain in Turkey until the end of the war.

death row
Saudi Arabia brokered an arrangement whereby the 10 foreigners were flown to Saudi Arabia. The mediation involved Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has maintained close TIES WITH PUTIN.

The freed prisoners included U.S. citizens Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, both from Alabama, who were captured in June while fighting in eastern Ukraine. Also freed were Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner[,] and Moroccan Brahim Saadoun, who were all sentenced to death by a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic....

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on September 20, 2022
Hubei Media Group: We have learned that the second Middle East Security Forum will be held in Beijing on September 21 in an online-plus-offline format by the China Institute of International Studies. Can you share more information? 
Wang Wenbin: The world has entered a new period of volatility and transformation. The Middle East is facing new security challenges. China attaches great importance to peace and security in the Middle East....
by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 04:10:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Guardian | British Man released by Russia says he was 'treated worse than dog', 25 Sep war crime gothic
forced to sing the Russian national anthem every morning, and if they did not comply they would be "punished for it. You would get beaten."...

having fallen in love with a Ukrainian woman, Diane Okovyta, and joined the marines ...

slept on a mat infested with lice and cockroaches. Because there was no toilet....

survived for three weeks by eating pieces of bread and water. The only time he was let out of his cell was to do propaganda or take phone calls....

captors threatened to cut off his ear. He was beaten for having a tattoo of a Ukrainian trident...

a Russian who was guarding Aslin then asked him: "Do you want a quick death or a beautiful death?"

[Aiden] Aslin said he responded that he wanted a quick death but was told: "You're going to have a beautiful death[,] and I'm going to make sure it's a beautiful death."

repatriation
After being was reunited with his mother and his  fiancée this week, Aslin said: "I never thought I'd get out alive."
by Cat on Sun Sep 25th, 2022 at 06:29:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Sep 25th, 2022 at 07:19:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
mail-in ballots ar SATAN!!
by Cat on Fri Sep 23rd, 2022 at 06:49:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Strana.news | From September 23 to 27, "referendums" will be held not only in the occupied territories, but also in Russia, 22 Sep scare quotes
From September 23 to 27, "referendums" on the annexation of the occupied territories to the Russian Federation will be held not only in these territories, but also in Russia.

"Polling stations" will be opened in all regions of the Russian Federation, and several in large cities. For example, in Moscow in every district. They will also work in every major district of the Moscow region. The same applies to the annexed Crimea. Many points for "voting" in the Rostov [RU] region.
[...]
This means that not only refugees from the LDNR and other regions of Ukraine will be able to vote in Russia (according to TASS, more than 4.2 million citizens have arrived in the Russian Federation since February), but also citizens who conditionally moved from Donetsk to Moscow 20 years ago, who have an expired Ukrainian passport. ...

by Cat on Sun Sep 25th, 2022 at 04:11:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]
wut: Russia readies annexation of territory as big as Portugal
by Cat on Wed Sep 28th, 2022 at 03:03:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Arab News | Tell us if you love a Palestinian, Israeli Defense Ministry orders foreigners, 3 Sep
If any foreigner marries a Palestinian, immigration restrictions mean they will need to leave after 27 months and cannot return for at least half a year.
[...]
Regulations include a demand that foreigners inform the Israeli authorities within 30 days of starting a relationship with a Palestinian ID holder.
[...]
The European Commission said that it was concerned about the restrictions on foreign students and academics at Palestinian universities, which the BBC reported was shared with the "highest levels" of the Israeli authorities....
by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 09:10:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Telesur | Thousands Demand the Resignation of the Government in Prague, 3 Sep photos
The organisers said after the end of the demonstration that if the government does not resign by 25 September, they will announce pressure actions and will plan for another protest on 28 September.

"We demand the establishment of a temporary government of experts and the calling of early elections. If the government does not resign by 25 September, we will declare the right to resistance under the Constitution of the Czech Republic at a nationwide demonstration and announce coercive actions. We are already in talks with trade unions, businessmen, farmers, mayors, transport operators and other organisations to declare a strike," the organisers warned.
[...]
According to [EUCo pres] Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS), the event was called by forces that claim to have a pro-Russian orientation, are close to extremists and are against the interests of the Czech Republic. However, the protest are so far peaceful and without any serious problems.

APspainin
Some of the groups represented at the demonstration included the major anti-migrant populist Freedom and Direct Democracy party and the Communist Party. The protesters demanded the resignation of the current coalition government led by conservative Prime Minister Petr Fiala, criticizing it for a number of issues, including its Western-oriented policies.
euractiv
"The aim of our demonstration is to demand change, mainly in solving the issue of energy prices, especially electricity and gas, which will destroy our economy this autumn," event co-organizer Jiri Havel told iDNES.cz news website.
[4 Sep] An unfortunate statement, politicians evaluate Fial's words about the pro-Russian forces at the protest
Government ministers and opposition politicians react to Prime Minister Petr Fiala's statement about the pro-Russian conveners of Saturday's demonstration against the government. According to the governor of the South Bohemian Region and the chairman of the Association of Regions, Martin Kuba, his words were unfortunate. According to him, the government should not underestimate people's fear of the current price hike and crisis and should make it clear to them that it will guide them through the situation....
The protest at Wenceslas Square in the city centre was held a day after the government survived a no-confidence vote amid opposition claims of inaction against inflation and energy prices. The vote showed how Europe's energy crisis is fuelling political instability as soaring power prices stoke inflation, already at levels unseen in three decades.
by Cat on Sun Sep 4th, 2022 at 06:00:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
G7 OHCR
Austria's Volker Turk appointed UN human rights chief
"Deputy US Ambassador to the United Nations Lisa Carty said Turk 'must serve as an independent, impartial, and unwavering voice for human rights issues around the world.'"

G7 MIC
EU plans new military aid for gas-rich Mozambique amid energy crisis
"The energy squeeze due to the Ukraine war has added impetus to Europe's scramble for gas off Mozambique's northern coast, where Western oil firms are planning to build a massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal."

G7 πορνεία
Russia is preventing access to Ukraine war prisoners, [G7] UN says
"a 'welcoming process' whereby they are forced to walk or run between rows of Russian guards who take turns severely beating them as they enter the facilities"

by Cat on Fri Sep 9th, 2022 at 10:05:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
vOldeMoRT: US rule out Russia visa ban, 3 Sep
Washington won't restrict the visas for all Russians as a punishment for Russia's actions in Ukraine, said John Kirby, US National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, in an interview with the Dozhd TV channel that was released on Saturday.

The US has introduced visa restrictions for individual Russians whom it considers to be "regime supporters," Kirby said. However, Washington doesn't believe that "holding all Russians accountable" is a productive measure, as the US' decisions shouldn't be turned into a war with the entire Russian people.

archived "Our sanctions don't affect ..."
It is not the Russian people who should be blamed, but "president [Vladimir] Putin and his cabinet," he explained.

On August 31, the foreign ministers of the 27 EU countries decided to suspend the visa facilitation agreement with Russia

EU foreign ministers agree to suspend visa facilitation agreement
... The ministers primarily discussed two topics, namely the EU's relations with Africa and the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The main outcome of the meeting was agreement among the Member States to suspend the visa facilitation agreement.
[...]
According to [Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jan] Lipavský, it is also however necessary to achieve mutual understanding between the Member States. On the one hand, there is the problem of the northern states that directly border Russia and which are seeing the arrival of large numbers of Russians. On the other hand, the individual Member States have differing stances on the issue. What is important now is that the European Commission and EU institutions prepare a proposal that reflects these different aspects....
which means reducing the number of visas issued and making it more difficult to obtain them. The details remain unclear, yet it's certain that the introduction of the ban will result in more difficult, longer and more expensive procedures for Russians to obtain a Schengen visa.
archived Josep Borrell Sealing Europe's Fate

trivia
RUSSIAN FEDERATION PASSPORT DASHBOARD
mobility score | passport power rank (2015-2022)

by Cat on Sun Sep 4th, 2022 at 08:54:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
VRT News | Energy crisis: "Opportunity to leap forward" says Mr De Croo, 4 Sep dont-say-fuel
Mr De Croo conceded the situation was now serious. Rising energy prices form a threat to the economy. The premier insists any cap on gas prices needs to be agreed at the European level. European energy ministers meet next Friday.

The premier expressed his anger at the fact that Europe had failed to act with speed. Belgium alone can't sort it he noted: "At long last the European commission is now signalling comprehension: citizens need to be protected".
[...]
The Belgian leader has been accused of fuelling panic by suggesting the next five to ten winters will be difficult. Mr De Croo refused to withdraw his words: "This is the reality. If we can get a grip on this, we're in for five difficult years. If we fail due to poor policies, it's ten difficult years. As a country and as a continent we can sort it, if we get all our ducks in a row. We can leap forward twenty years by loosening ties with fossil fuels and countries we prefer not to trade with"

victory!
"Our reliance on Russian gas has already decreased enormously.  We thought it would take years. If we do a good job, it will be a matter of months. During these months we will do our utmost to the chart a course through the crisis for everybody. People need to understand this is a temporary [?] solution. We won't leave people in the cold or allow them to lose their jobs. We will take action".
The Plan
belgium.be | A federal crisis plan to COMBAT soaring energy prices, 2 Sep
The federal government has decided to extend the support measures (VAT reduction and social rate for one million households) to cope with the explosive increase in energy prices. The banks are committed to protecting the most affected families. Measures will be taken to skim off [dont-say-tax] the industry's excess[?] profits to finance a solidarity fund. The government also calls on Belgians and companies to reduce their consumption and set a good example....
fail
The problem = prices
The current wholesale prices for gas and electricity are so disproportionately high that market intervention is required. In Asia, the wholesale price of LNG is € 150/MWh and in [*-]America € 30/MWh. There is no reason why gas prices in Europe (€ 300/MWh) should disproportionally higher, when transport [from WHERE? HOW?] to Europe only costs a few euros per MWh.

Like the high gas price, the wholesale price of electricity no longer reflects the [power plant] production cost of [distributing] electricity. A great deal of energy is generated by (renewable and nuclear) plants that do not face rising fuel costs. In Europe, there is a wide chasm between the actual costs and current prices. This means the market is no longer functioning. ...

archived "Our sanctions don't affect ..."
by Cat on Mon Sep 5th, 2022 at 08:18:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
MENAFN | Jonas Gahr Store to Ursula vdL, 13 Sep
"A maximum price does not change the fundamental issue that there is a gas shortage in Europe."
oh
by Cat on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 at 06:06:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
euractiv | EU's von der Leyen rows back on plans to cap [EU RUSSIAN EMBARGO] fossil gas prices, 14 Sep
In her annual State of the Union speech before the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday (14 September), Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said negotiation would be a more efficient way to lower gas prices, which are set on the global market.
oh
by Cat on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 05:39:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
APsplainin EU chief wants to tap excess producer profits, 14 Sep *-English
A top European Union official unveiled a plan Wednesday to cap the revenue [dont-say-cost] of electricity producers [ENTSO-E operators?!] that are making extraordinary profits because of the effects [nth derivative] of Russia's war in Ukraine and climate change, saying the proposal could raise $140 billion [if enacted by EU27 parliaments] to help people hit by spiraling energy prices.
archived "Our sanctions don't affect ..."
"Russia keeps actively manipulating our [global?] energy [dont-say-fuel] market," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France. "So, this market is not functioning anymore."
O RLY? What is perfect competition?  inna HFT forward contract "environment"? Possibly, a (tight|loose|flex) PANDEMIC labor.market(workforce size)?
"These companies are making revenues they never accounted for, they never even dream[ed] of," von der Leyen said. "In these times, it is wrong to receive extraordinary record revenues and profits benefiting from war and on the back of consumers."
archived 1973-1974 "oil crisis" and anteKyoto Jimmy Carter freedom molecules
During her State of the European Union address to the EU assembly, attended by Olena Zelenska, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensk*, von der Leyen said company "profits must be shared [dont-say-tax] and channeled to those who need it the most.[dont-say-subsidy]"
[...]
Most of the money would come by setting a price cap [sic] on electricity produced through renewable energy sources and nuclear power ["inframarginal technology"] of 180 euros [DOWN from €200!] per megawatt hour, less than half the current price. EU countries would also collect a "solidarity contribution" [dont-say-tax] from oil, gas[,] and coal refineries [?!] earning 20% more [operating, EBITDA, or "net"?] profit than they averaged over the last three years.

With [EU] Russia [EMBARGO] tightening the natural gas ["Nordstrom"] taps, demand for gas and electricity also must be reduced, even if reserves of the fuel are on average 84% full across the EU. Capping [EU retail] prices [to subsidize EU "energy" trading] will not draw down use [O RLY?], so the European Commission also wants people HH rate-payers to consume less [so "energy intensive" industries can consume more], particularly during peak [1st shift] hours. ....

fail
by Cat on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 07:05:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 10:43:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
BrusselsTimes.com | Doel 3: Shutdown confirmed for Friday despite politicians' pleas, 23 Sep inframarginal price cap foo(demand)
...In spite of this, the Doel 1 and 2, as well as the Tihange 1 reactors (that started producing power in 1985) were allowed to extend their operations until 2025....
by Cat on Sat Sep 24th, 2022 at 07:22:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
They'll have to restart more coal fueled power plants.
by Bernard (bernard) on Mon Sep 26th, 2022 at 08:14:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Sep 26th, 2022 at 08:33:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Perhaps recognizing nuclear safety regulations are imperative?

Belgium shuts down nuclear reactor over suspected vessel cracking | Bellona - Aug. 10, 2012 |

But the wear and tear on one of its reactor vessel is an alarming sign for at least three other European countries and possibly more worldwide, all of which purchased vessels from the same now-bankrupt Dutch manufacturer.

Nils Bøhmer, Bellona's general director and nuclear physicist said that similar problem will begin to appear worldwide due to ageing nuclear reactors, whose average lifespan is about 30 years.

The wear and tear observed in Beligium, said Bøhmer, "is something that comes of neutron radiation from power generation" within the reactor core that is housed by the vessel.

"This will, as reactors get older, cause cracks," in reactor vessels said Bøhmer.

The 1,006 MW Doel No 3 reactor, operated by GDF Suez unit Electrabel, is scheduled to close in 10 years according to the nuclear exit plan the Belgian government adopted in July. A pressurized water reactor, it went into service in 1982.

The suspected fractures at the reactor, 25 kilometers  north of Antwerp near the Dutch border, which provides a sixth of Belgium's nuclear-generated power, do not pose any health and safety threat, said AFCN, the country's nuclear watchdog.

Some 9 million people live within a 75 kilometer radius of the plant.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Sep 26th, 2022 at 08:35:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]
euractiv | LEAK: Brussels floats ["non-paper"] for capping gas [explosion] prices, 29 Sep
w"Establishing the appropriate level for the cap would be a challenging exercise due to internal and global market dynamics and entailing risks from the point of view of security of supply," the non-paper reads. "Furthermore, the risk of triggering supply disruptions from third-countries supplies is higher for a generalised wholesale price cap than it is for a price cap on the imports of pipeline gas."
[...]
Once again, it advocates for a cap on Russian gas imports, which currently make up 9% of EU supply
nope. Try again.
The European Commission says it is ready to discuss developing a temporary EU framework to limit the influence [?] of high gas prices on electricity prices.
[...]
Other ideas include engaging with "reliable supply partners" to reach a "common understanding" on reducing prices and a new "transactions-based LNG benchmark" to encourage more accurate pricing.
oh. prix fixe Nordic NG and US LNG racketeering for the world, now that EU's Russian gas pipes are empty. OK.
If this measure were to work, it would require creating a body at the EU level to replace the workings of the market and ensure gas is sent to places with scarce supply.

A price cap would also remove the financial incentive for consumers to reduce consumption, so there would need to be a "significantly more drastic" demand reduction framework, including curtailment, to address the increase in demand due to a lower price.

wut
The EU would also need to find "significant financial resources" to attract gas to Europe if global gas prices are higher than The Cap™.

The Commission non-paper can be consulted below or downloaded here.

Politico.eu.com | Germany introduces €200 billion gas price cap to counter Russia's 'energy war', 29 Sep dont-say-EU-embargo
Under the proposed scheme, the state will set a limit for [retail] gas prices and pay the difference between that [retail] cap and what gas importers pay on the world market.
dont-say-supply-challenged
"We want to clearly separate crisis spending from our regular budget management," Lindner said, insisting that the German government remained committed to a conservative fiscal policy that aims to limit inflation, which is expected to reach 10 percent in Germany.

"We want to send a very clear signal to the capital markets: Even if we now use such a defensive umbrella, Germany will stick to its stability-oriented, sustainability-oriented fiscal policy," Lindner said, adding: "German government bonds remain the gold standard in the world."

Politico.eu.com | EU announces Russian oil price cap in NEW! sanctions plan, 29 Sep dont-say-zero
by Cat on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 01:50:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
kawsachunnews | IMF Tells Bolivia to Drop its Successful Economic Model, 16 Sep
... The bulk of public investment is destined for infrastructure, while the majority of subsidies are for ensuring the price of fuel doesn't rise. Bolivia is the only country in the region to see no rise in fuel prices, a policy that has kept inflation at less than 2%, unlike the rest of South America.

The report even states that fuel prices must rise, and the inflation that would inevitably cause could be offset by cash-transfer [payments] programs for the poorest sectors, says the IMF: "The successful implementation of an increase in domestic fuel prices will require recycling a part of the budget savings in cash transfer programs aimed at the poorest deciles of the population."...

by Cat on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 02:01:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
oh. prix fixe Nordic NG and US LNG racketeering for the world, now that EU's Russian gas pipes are empty. OK.

Oh, so you're a neolib now? Don't like socialism? Planned market economies?


It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 02:52:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Nooooo, I'm a silent member of teh EU Comish, antitrust division. mwahahahahahahahahha
by Cat on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 04:13:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Politico.eu.com | German audit court slams Scholz's €200B gas price cap, 30 Sep
"'When money is drawn down from special funds, the state has to borrow. Ultimately, special funds, even if they are not called that, are federal debt,' the auditor's court president said."
by Cat on Sat Oct 1st, 2022 at 01:15:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Fri Sep 9th, 2022 at 02:53:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Fri Sep 9th, 2022 at 11:12:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
ELECTION 2022 September 11
Politico.eu.com | 'Make Sweden great again.' Far right on the cusp of power, 8 Sep Sweden Democrats (SD) v Swedish Social Democrats (SD) Politico poll of polls smoke
[SD leader Jimmie] Åkesson is unlikely to become prime minister[,] if his side wins because the opposition bloc's other parties -- the center-right Moderates, Christian Democrats[,] and Liberals -- have said they back Moderate leader Ulf Kristersson for the role, even if his party polls less well than SD.

But the emergence of SD as a key player in Swedish policymaking would still be a radical shock to the Nordic state's political system, which for the past century has been based largely on consensus < wipes tears > building.

While Sweden's immigration policies have long been liberal < wipes tears > SD's platform would aim for zero asylum seekers. Sweden's criminal justice system has traditionally focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment but SD is calling for longer prison sentences and wider use of deportation.

"Deport foreign criminals ... and no discussion," says one of SD's new election posters. ...

by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 05:47:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 02:01:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I'm guessing they will favour the left, but I don't know if the effect is big enough. It's tight enough that it may matter.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 07:34:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Politico.eu.com | EU intelligence chief cancels Taiwan trip after Beijing learns his secret plans, 13 Sep
José Casimiro Morgado, director of the European Union Intelligence and Situation Centre, was supposed to make the below-the-radar visit to meet Taiwanese officials in October, according to the diplomats.

However, the EU spy chief's plan came to a halt after Beijing got hold of the information and put pressure on the EU to scrap what would have been an unusually sensitive visit amid China's escalating military threats on Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its own territory.

I question your morality.
The development calls into question whether a human or data leak from the EU was involved, with diplomats also concerned about the EU's change of plans after Beijing's intervention.
[...]
The revelation also sheds further light on the quiet deceitful diplomacy between the EU and Taiwan, after last year's covert trip to Brussels by Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. The EU Intelligence and Situation Centre, known in the Brussels bubble as INTCEN, focuses on civilian "intelligence-based situational awareness" and forms one of two pillars of the EU's "single intelligence analysis capacity," alongside the military-focused Intelligence Directorate of the EU Military Staff....
by Cat on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 02:26:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]
platform worker entered the room, Jan 2022. Who knew zero-hour contracts and terms were sooo technical?
The intention, amongst other things, is to improve working conditions by ensuring that there is the 'correct' determination of their employment status.
concept of "employer" is not well understood, so...
The Court of Justice of the European Union has historically interpreted the EU concept of 'worker' very widely, and has always emphasized the need for legal 'subordination' or control and direction of the worker. The Draft Directive provides that when a digital labor platform [sic] 'controls' the work of the platform worker, there will be a presumption that an employment relationship exists - i.e. the onus will no longer be on, for example, the individual to prove that this is the case....
euractiv | EU institutions inch closer to an agreement on platform worker status, 14 Sep
New compromise amendments, which EURACTIV obtained, indicate explicit wording has been added in the binding part of the legal text to confirm that "the legal presumption does not produce the effect of an automatic reclassification of all persons performing platform work as platform workers, since the presumption is rebuttable."
file in Mental disorder is a communicable disease
EC | EU proposes directive to protect the rights of platform workers, 17 Mar
by Cat on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 12:07:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Parliament set for clash with EU countries over new energy savings target, 15 Sep
"Parliament has today voted for ambitious and binding energy efficiency targets for the EU and for individual member states," the Danish MEP said after the vote on Wednesday (14 September). The position was adopted with 469 votes in favour, 93 against and 82 abstentions.

With the plenary vote cleared, Parliament can now enter negotiations with the [European] Council [of the European Union?] and the [European] Commission as part of so-called "trilogue" talks to finalise the law....

EP President to campaign to open EU treaties, "constitutional convention" UPDATE
by Cat on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 12:18:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Syriza.gr | Tsipras: SYRIZA's lead in the elections for the new change in the country, 18 Sep transcript (machine trans.), A/V 00:27:33 (GR) no closed caption
G. LOTSOPOULOU (ERT 3): Thank you, Mr. President. And above all, thank you for consistently honoring ERT3. We listened to you in your speech yesterday and we heard a series of announcements that correspond on the one hand to an increase in spending and on the other to a decrease in revenue. We heard about the increase in the minimum wage, about the return of retroactives, about indexation, about mother's allowance, I will not list them all. And on the other hand, the reduction of the Excise Tax and the VAT correspond to a reduction in revenues.

I would like to ask you how cost effective and reliable this program is and how after these announcements you will answer your political opponents who accuse you that with these announcements and this program you will either lead the country to a new memorandum or they will stay just some announcements that will never materialize and cheap promises.

AL. TSIPRAS: Ms. Lotsopoulou, thank you for the question. They accuse us of the possibility of leading the country to memorandums again, those who led us to memorandums. Who bankrupted the country, left it bankrupt in 2009 and who today follow the same recipes of bankruptcy. And they blame us for managing this bankruptcy, getting the country off the books. Because today we are in danger of having eavesdropping on this issue as well. They are undermining the great achievement of the SYRIZA government which was to create a framework of fiscal stability and sustainability, to regulate the debt so that it is sustainable with a clean corridor to the next low repayments....

by Cat on Tue Sep 20th, 2022 at 09:42:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Politico.eu.com | Veni, vidi, veto: Giorgia Meloni's march on Brussels, 22 Sep wut
Italy's far-right firebrand is poised to join like-minded leaders in Poland and Hungary as a spoiler to European Union ambitions
by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 02:25:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
TASS
Russia is ready to start pumping gas through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday at the Eastern Economic Forum.

"We are not building anything for no reason. We have received and perfected the necessary technology. We will turn on Nord Stream 2 if necessary," Putin said.

According to him, Nord Stream 1 is currently virtually closed, and the West claims that Moscow is using the gas pipeline as an energy weapon. "Nonsense. We supply as much as our partners need - we fulfill whatever they put in the application," Putin added.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 03:57:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Bernard (bernard) on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 01:19:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Enforceable legal precedent for 27 European countries
The European court of human rights has condemned France over its refusal to repatriate French women who travelled to Syria with their partners to join Islamic State and are currently being held with their children at Kurdish-run prison camps.

The ruling will be studied closely by other countries who still have citizens detained in camps in north-eastern Syria, including the UK.

The Strasbourg-based court - which is not a body of the European Union - ruled that Paris must swiftly re-examine requests made by the parents of the two women that they should be allowed to return to France with the children they gave birth to in Syria. The judges found that France's refusal to repatriate the women and children was in violation of the right of a person to "enter the territory of the state of which they are a national".

The ruling did not grant a general right to repatriation, but said there should be safeguards against any potentially "arbitrary" decision-making. It said an independent body should be able to examine decisions made about individuals. France had not provided sufficient reviews to ensure that its refusal to repatriate was not arbitrary. France must now re-examine the cases of the women and their children and provide guarantees on its decision-making process.

Macron had been stonewalling on this issue for several years, but saw this decision coming, and repatriated a first batch of 51 mothers and children in July. There are about 350 French citizens left in Kurdish-run Syrian camps.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 06:15:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]
There are about 350 French citizens left in Kurdish-run Syrian camps.

...including a large number of children.

by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 08:42:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Did Sonneborn really mean to compare von der Leyen with Hitler? Heise.de
Sehr geehrte Frau von der Leyen,

mit Karl Kraus zu sprechen: Mir fällt zum Zustand der EU nichts ein.

Um uns von einem Gas-Lieferanten zu lösen, der einen brutalen Angriffskrieg führt, - Putin -, haben Sie uns einen gesucht, der einen brutalen Angriffskrieg führt - Aliyev.

Auch wenn viele deutsche Medien schweigen - derzeit überfällt die Öldiktatur, die Sie zum "vertrauenswürdigen Partner" erklärt haben, das demokratische Armenien.

Respekt für Ihre Wahl, immerhin liegt unser neuer bester Kumpel Aserbaidschan in Sachen Demokratie, Presse und bürgerliche Freiheiten noch weit hinter Russland.

Nur bei der Bestechung korrupter CDU-Honks ist Aliyev ganz vorn.

Als Sie Ihren Dienst hier antraten, dachte ich, Sie seien lediglich unfähig und ein bisschen kriminell, inzwischen weiß ich, dass Sie auch beeindruckend moralfrei sind:

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 11:36:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]
RT (extended extract for those of you inside the Iron Curtain who can't see it)
Police have arrested a man responsible for assaulting two Ukrainian women in France. While he was initially believed to be Russian, a press release by the prosecutor in Nice on Wednesday has revealed the assailant is in fact a former Ukrainian soldier.

The two victims, Ukrainian refugees Alina and her mother Elena, initially reported that their assailant was a Russian-speaking man who apparently attacked them for listening to Ukrainian music on their phones as they were walking along the beach.

"When we heard how he spoke, we understood" that he was Russian, Alina told local news outlets. The two women sustained several injuries in the attack as doctors say Elena has a broken nose, while Alina may have suffered a concussion.

When it was first reported, the incident drew outrage from Kiev as the media and several officials were quick to report that the assailant was Russian. In response to the reports, many commenters wrote on social media that the incident was an example of how dangerous Russian people were.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 04:10:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
This is not exactly news (about a year old), but I just noticed the painting today and looked it up. Here is what he looks like now

The red cloak is a symbol of the Passion, of course.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Sat Sep 24th, 2022 at 07:28:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

by generic on Tue Sep 27th, 2022 at 05:56:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by generic on Tue Sep 27th, 2022 at 06:01:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Percussive Maintenance has entered the room...

by Bernard (bernard) on Wed Sep 28th, 2022 at 04:05:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Cat on Wed Sep 28th, 2022 at 04:11:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Nordstream explosions happened the same day as this:
by Bernard (bernard) on Wed Sep 28th, 2022 at 06:21:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

How dare they threaten the invaders?

by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 02:52:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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