Illarionov was also openly critical of the Russian government, saying that President Putin's "territorial ambitions, his imperial ambitions, are much more important than anything else, including the livelihood of the Russian population and of the financial situation in the country... even the financial state of the his government." The European Union has been discussing an oil embargo on Russia but has stopped short of imposing one because of its heavy dependence on the commodity, not to mention natural gas where the dependence is a lot heavier. Even so, officials in Brussels continue to discuss an oil embargo and, according to a Reuters report from Monday, it could become part of the next sanctions package, even though for some member states, such an embargo would constitute an "asymmetric shock".
While the discussions are ongoing, OPEC poured cold water on EU hopes for a quick replacement of Russian oil. Per another report by Reuters, the oil-producing cartel has told the EU it would not be able to fill the gap left by Russian barrels lost to an EU embargo. "We could potentially see the loss of more than 7 million barrels per day (bpd) of Russian oil and other liquids exports, resulting from current and future sanctions or other voluntary actions," the group's chief, Mohammad Barkindo, said in a speech seen by Reuters. "Considering the current demand outlook, it would be nearly impossible to replace a loss in volumes of this magnitude," Barkindo added.
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Since the conflict in Ukraine began, there has been a concerted effort to try and establish greater ‘transatlantic’ control over Western Europe's foreign policy, or to speak more explicitly, to put it in line with that of the United States. America’s foreign influence operations on the continent are huge, ranging from an army of funded think tanks, to allied journalists, to of course politicians. It is little surprise that the situation with Russia has weaved into the longstanding effort to get Europe to also conform to America’s preferences on China, also, and dismantle the ‘Merkel legacy’ of engagement with Beijing .
This makes the China-EU summit such a critical juncture. It is inevitable that newspapers such as the Financial Times have sought to frame this event in solely negative narratives for Beijing, running a story titled: ‘Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forges new unity of EU purpose on China’ and forecasting that a tougher stance on China which will attempt to ‘pressure’ it to disavow Moscow. But this posturing is far from reality. What the EU says and what the EU does are often two separate things, seeking to project the appearance of unity no matter what. In practice, the Brussels does not in fact have the political will, unity, or means anymore to comprehensively force Beijing to do anything, especially after it has reaffirmed that its strategic partnership with Russia continues to be of “no limits.” Not only, for that matter, is the EU’s apparent unity on Russia, which the Financial Times piece attempts to frame as “surprising” for Beijing, significantly exaggerated, but it seems even less plausible that the bloc has the political resolve to endure the pain of a head-on collision against a much stronger economic partner such as China, which is now larger than the entire EU in terms of nominal GDP. Either way, it seems clear that the pathway of aligning with American foreign policy interests is going to make Western Europe weaker, poorer, and less relevant than ever before – typical of the self-sabotage it has often imposed on itself at the behest of Washington.The approach of Western nations towards China over Ukraine is increasingly that of having their cake and eating it too – Beijing is presented as an adversary, a competitor, and a rival; it is depicted constantly with suspicion, disdain, and scepticism in the mainstream media. There is a move to try and militarize its entire surroundings, with the United States urging European countries to adopt ‘Indo-Pacific’ strategies, send warships into the South China Sea, and support Taiwan, whilst relations with it are portrayed as a binary struggle for dominance between authoritarianism and liberal democracy. Over the past two years, the goodwill the West has collectively shown towards China has been minimal. Whilst most of Europe has not been on the same level as the English-speaking nations, the efforts by the US to turn the screws have been noticeable through its channels of influence. Yet despite this, China is still expected to cooperate and do the bidding of the West on various things which serve their own interests, often on the back of various threats. It is inevitable on such a stance that China will continue to see its strategic partnership with Russia as multifaceted and crucial. Why would Beijing throw Moscow under the bus in favour of the West, when the West quite explicitly shows no goodwill or intent to China whatsoever? Beijing is right to hedge its options and interests accordingly. While that may not involve completely endorsing the situation in Ukraine, nor does it involve condemning it at the demand of certain countries either. China’s hedging is both prudent and strategic – it would be naïve to trust the US and its allies. If there is any cooperation or favours to be had regarding this situation, Beijing is within its right to demand a high price in return.Do the EU members want peace talks? Then, for example, furthering the China-EU comprehensive investment agreement (CAI) must be part of it, or ending Lithuania’s ludicrous adventurism regarding Taiwan. Beyond the tough rhetoric, it should also be noted that the EU is not in a position of strength right now to seriously push back, even if it wants to. Germany’s annual economic growth forecast has been cut to just 1.8% as its disastrous energy policies begin to take their toll, whilst inflation has reached a record of nearly 10% in Spain. Can the EU afford to threaten and punish China? And will every EU state stand for it? Not a chance. Thus, beyond the usual political posturing, China will approach the EU summit shrewdly and pragmatically, keeping its hand carefully and subtly ensuring it does not want to rock the boat. Europe, of course, may not be amicable or friendly to China as it once was, given the influences exerted on it, but that’s a different ballgame altogether than being unified or having the space to push back against Beijing as a bloc, given it can scarcely do so with Moscow. But ultimately, if European countries want real results here, they’re going to have to be willing to give at least as much a they take in their approach to China and stop believing in the transatlantic fantasies. They should finally ask themselves: Does their self-proclaimed strategic autonomy truly exist? Or are they going to throw away win-win diplomacy with their largest trading partners to suit the qualms of Washington? It’s very much crunch time.
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Despite the suspended ties with Moscow, Visa will be able to restore the revenue it lost by pulling out of Russia amid Ukraine-related sanctions within a year, the company’s Chief Financial Officer Vasant Prabhu said this week, as cited by the Wall Street Journal. Visa, along with rival Mastercard, suspended ties with Russia last month under pressure from Western governments critical of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine. The move cost the company about 4% of revenues. However, according to Prabhu, Visa will be able to make up for the losses by next year.
Visa’s global net revenues soared 10% year-over-year to $24.1 billion in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021. In the first quarter of 2022, revenues climbed 19% over the same period last year to $3.6 billion, while international transaction revenues alone jumped over 50% and global cross-border volumes surged 40%, according to Visa’s fiscal report. This uptick comes largely from the rebound in global travel and the continuing recovery of Visa’s cross-border payments business, says Brett Horn, senior equity analyst at financial services firm Morningstar. According to the analyst, while the company’s revenue growth may not be as high as previously expected, it is likely to make up for the sales that Visa used to generate in Russia. Under a shattered crescent hangar at Ukraine’s Gostomel Airport, the world’s largest plane lies buckled and broken, an immovable monument to the battle Russia waged to take this foothold towards the capital, Kyiv. The Antonov An-225 Mriya – a cargo-lift plane with an 88-metre (290-feet) wingspan that is the largest of any aircraft in operational service – has been mauled by blasts. “Mriya” – meaning “dream” in Ukrainian – was once printed on the nose. The name is now lost in a mass of scorched metal scraps and abandoned ammunition. The plane was once a source of national pride but it was sacrificed in the fight to keep Russian troops outside the city gates. “We are talking with a destroyed ‘Dream’ as a backdrop,” said interior minister Denys Monastyrsky, standing before the crippled giant striped with the yellow and blue of the Ukrainian flag. “It’s emotionally difficult because I was here with my team two days before the war started,” he said. “It was intact then.”
On the doorstep of Kyiv, Gostomel Airport was where Russia hoped to stage a decisive victory over Ukraine. One day after President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion on February 24, the Kremlin claimed to have seized the hub, allowing them to airlift armaments to the cusp of the capital. However, Ukrainian forces fiercely contested the area. It was in Gostomel and the surrounding Kyiv suburbs where Russia’s advance from the north faltered, then failed. “The initial idea was that cargo planes with paratroopers and vehicles would land here and it should’ve been an entrance point to Kyiv,” said Monastyrsky. He estimates that “thousands” of paratroopers were deployed to Gostomel in wave after wave, commanded to bring the landing strip under Russian control. “They didn’t manage to accomplish this task,” he said, touring the complex in pixelated camouflage uniform. “We are confident that it won’t be possible to achieve now too.” Last week, Putin cancelled his Kyiv offensive, pulling troops back into Belarus. It is anticipated they are regrouping for a fresh assault on Ukraine’s eastern flank. It has been reported the “Dream” was destroyed on the fourth day of combat. All around the airport is evidence of the deadly contest which took place over the last month. There are tatters of drab clothing, dislocated tank tracks and other unrecognizable vehicle parts. At least one undetonated grenade is visible, concealed among the desiccated remnants of military hardware which jangles underfoot. Daggered into the tarmac of one road approaching from the south is the body of an unexploded missile. Other unspent rounds of heavy ammunition the size of fireplace logs are piled in one spot next to a crumpled road sign reading: “Danger”. Two soldiers pick across the debris towards the open taxiway. They carry rifles slung across their backs and brooms in their hands – a comic image and an optimistic gesture among all this debris of chaos.
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NATO, you got fat and flabby and lazy. You sat on the laurels earned by and taught to you by the deaths of sixty million in WWII. You thought and taught that it could never happen again.
During the cold war you maintained your armed forces and remembered the horrors that tyranny and authoritarianism can create. Your warriors remained alert and ready while your academics and historian taught the lessons of the past. You remembered the sacrifices of a whole generation. But you grew soft! You questioned the morality of defensive war, you allowed holier than thou students to reduce your heroic actions to the level of the thug. At school you stopped teaching your own history with pride and instead gave equity to those who would undermine your values. You let that great grubby god 'Money' steal your values and virtue, - substituting cash with the excuse 'Someone else will take it if I don't'. Generals allowed their armies to be reduced to bland green reservists whose sole purpose was to march in concert with the lowest common denominator. Cheap and cheerful made it look good. By reducing your effectiveness in the name of 'equality', you trained your youth to cry and whine when confronted with failure and disappointment. You trained them to remain childish like puppies for their entire existence. While the monsters of communism and fascism rebuilt their followings you wore your Hugo Boss and took your cash and told us we were yesterdays people. You were the new awakening. Well you are awake now the monster has returned and yes, - he still has nuclear weapons, - he still cares nothing for your values and he certainly doesn't care if you cry - or die! Where are your warriors, where are your leaders? Where are the men and women who understood evil and the lessons of history? Not in your parliaments, not in your police forces and not in your schools. All your human rights are as nothing when a T72 tank comes down your road. Tanks don't understand 'INAPPROPRIATE'. There are new sacrifices to be made. Are you prepared to meet them as you ought? "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." You are awake now little children and it's time to grow up!
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Perovskite sun cells would possibly revolutionize how people generate power from daylight. First 200 other folks get 20% off annual top class subscription. In this video we’ll discover the arena’s quickest making improvements to new sun generation, and supply an unique peek throughout the lab of a crew running in this step forward subject matter.
Imagine an affordable answer of perovskite crystals that may make a photovoltaic cellular so skinny, that simply part a cup of liquid can be sufficient to energy a area. A sun panel so light-weight, that it may be balanced atop a cleaning soap bubble. That is referred to as the holy grail of solar power. So when can we see perovskite sun panels used for a solar energy device for your house? Maybe quicker than you are expecting. Currently, most effective 2% of worldwide electrical energy comes from solar energy. And 90% of that, comes from crystalline silicon-based sun panels, the dominant subject matter generation. While plentiful, silicon has downsides associated with potency, production complexity, and air pollution that save you it from being an absolute no brainer. Emerging skinny movies like perovskites provide a shiny long run. Imagine sun automobiles like a sun tesla, sun yachts, or a sun airplane. Solar cellular applied sciences may also be categorised into two classes, wafer-based or thin-film cells. Perovskites are the main contender in rising skinny movies. Topics coated on this video come with packages, perovskite crystal construction, running concept of perovskite sun cells, potency limits, multi-junction sun cells, shockley-queisser restrict, how sun works, sun simulator, band hole, production, vapor deposition, how sun panels are made, and the way forward for solar energy. The 'strange' admission, according to the Zionist regime’s Supreme Court president, was made on a petition to disclose materials that detail facts about the massacre committed against Palestinian refugee in the Sabra and Shatila Camp about four decades ago.
A lawyer for the ‘Israeli’ entity’s Mossad spy agency told the Zionist regime’s so-called High Court of Justice on Monday that the agency is having difficulty locating historic documents in its archives relating to ties between the agency and Lebanese Christian militias that carried out massacres at two Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon in September 1982. The Mossad lawyer, Omri Epstein, made the claim at a hearing on a petition filed by dozens of human rights advocates who have been seeking the disclosure of documents demonstrating Mossad’s links in the 1970s and 1980s to Lebanese Christian militias that committed the massacres at the Palestinian refugees’ camp. In comments to the Mossad’s claim, court president Esther Hayut, who heads the panel hearing the case, described it as “strange.”. At the hearing, Epstein alleged that the agency’s current ability to locate the documents “in the way in which they are stored, as well as the capability to locate documents for such an inclusive request spanning eight years, is limited and difficult.”. Hayut noted that the spy agency is legally required to preserve the documents, which are to be opened to the public after 90 years. “The assumption is that until the 90 years have elapsed, you need to preserve the material – so what does it mean that it’s difficult for you to locate them?” she asked. Epstein responded that behind closed doors and on an ex parte basis – meaning without the presence of the representatives of the human rights advocates – he would be able to explain at further length “how the material is maintained in the Mossad archives.”. In his petition, Eitay Mack, the lawyer representing the petitioners, alleged that about 40 years had so far elapsed “since the Mossad was responsible for ‘Israel’s’ support for murderous militias that committed atrocities in Lebanon. Nevertheless, the Mossad still believes that it is its right to conceal the information relating to them from the public.”. Mack said that the 1982 massacre “was just one of a series of massacres, executions, abductions, disappearances, dismemberment and abuse of bodies that the Christian militias carried out.” The nondisclosure of historic documents was the subject of another High Court case that was decided about two months ago, involving a request by researchers from the Taub Center for ‘Israel’ Studies at New York University to review documents in the archives related to the establishment of Zionist settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. The Bank of Russia has resumed gold purchases this week, but more importantly, the regulator is doing so at a fixed price of 5,000 rubles ($59) per 1 gram between March 28 and June 30, raising the possibility of Russia returning to the gold standard for the first time in over a century. If the country takes the next step, as has been proposed this week, to sell its commodities priced in rubles, these combined moves could have huge implications for the ruble, the US dollar, and the global economy.
Why is setting a fixed price for gold in rubles significant? By offering to buy gold from Russian banks at a fixed price of 5,000 rubles per gram, the Bank of Russia has both linked the ruble to gold and, since gold trades in US dollars, set a floor price for the ruble in terms of the US dollar. We can see this linkage in action since Friday 25 March when the Bank of Russia made the fixed price announcement. The ruble was trading at around 100 to the US dollar at that time, but has since strengthened and is nearing 80 to the US dollar. Why? Because gold has been trading on international markets at about US$62 per gram which is equivalent to (5,000 / 62) = about 80.5, and markets and arbitrage traders have now taken note, driving the RUB/USD exchange rate higher. So the ruble now has a floor to the US dollars, in terms of gold. But gold also has a floor, so to speak, because 5,000 rubles per gram is 155,500 rubles per troy ounce of gold, and with a RUB/USD floor of about 80, that’s a gold price of around $1,940. And if the Western paper gold markets of LBMA/COMEX try to drive the US dollar gold price lower, they will have to try to weaken the ruble as well or else the paper manipulations will be out in the open. Additionally, with the new gold to ruble linkage, if the ruble continues to strengthen (for example due to demand created by obligatory energy payments in rubles), this will also be reflected in a stronger gold price. What does it mean for oil? Russia is the world’s largest natural gas exporter and the world’s third largest oil exporter. We are seeing right now that Putin is demanding that foreign buyers (importers of Russian gas) must pay for this natural gas using rubles. This immediately links the price of natural gas to rubles and (because of the fixed link to gold) to the gold price. So Russian natural gas is now linked via the ruble to gold. The same can now be done with Russian oil. If Russia begins to demand payment for oil exports with rubles, there will be an immediate indirect peg to gold (via the fixed price ruble – gold connection). Then Russia could begin accepting gold directly in payment for its oil exports. In fact, this can be applied to any commodities, not just oil and natural gas. What does that mean for the price of gold? By playing both sides of the equation, i.e. linking the ruble to gold and then linking energy payments to the ruble, the Bank of Russia and the Kremlin are fundamentally altering the entire working assumptions of the global trade system while accelerating change in the global monetary system. This wall of buyers in search of physical gold to pay for real commodities could certainly torpedo and blow up the paper gold markets of the LBMA and COMEX. The fixed peg between the ruble and gold puts a floor on the RUB/USD rate but also a quasi-floor on the US dollar gold price. But beyond this, the linking of gold to energy payments is the main event. While increased demand for rubles should continue to strengthen the RUB/USD rate and show up as a higher gold price, due to the fixed ruble - gold linkage, if Russia begins to accept gold directly as a payment for oil, then this would be a new paradigm shift for the gold price as it would link the oil price directly to the gold price. For example, Russia could start by specifying that it will now accept 1 gram of gold per barrel of oil. It doesn’t have to be 1 gram but would have to be a discounted offer to the current crude benchmark price so as to promote take up, e.g. 1.2 grams per barrel. Buyers would then scramble to buy physical gold to pay for Russian oil exports, which in turn would create huge strains in the paper gold markets of London and New York where the entire ‘gold price’ discovery is based on synthetic and fractionally-backed cash-settled unallocated ‘gold’ and gold price ‘derivatives. What does it mean for the ruble? Linking the ruble to gold via the Bank of Russia’s fixed price has now put a floor under the RUB/USD rate, and thereby stabilized and strengthened the ruble. Demanding that natural gas exports are paid for in rubles (and possibly oil and other commodities down the line) will again act as stabilization and support. If a majority of the international trading system begins accepting these rubles for commodity payments arrangements, this could propel the Russian ruble to becoming a major global currency. At the same time, any move by Russia to accept direct gold for oil payments will cause more international gold to flow into Russian reserves, which would also strengthen the balance sheet of the Bank of Russia and in turn strengthen the ruble.Talk of a formal gold standard for the ruble might be premature, but a gold-backed ruble must be something the Bank of Russia has considered. It seems that worries are on the rise over the possibility of a new civil war in the US recently. More discussions on this matter occurred in US media especially after the first anniversary of the Capitol riots. For instance, The New York Times carried an opinion piece on January 6, titled "Are We Really Facing a Second Civil War?" A CNN video on Saturday asked a similar question: "Is America heading to civil war or secession?"
The US has seen increasing polarization in recent years. Historically, in the US, people with diverse political ideas made compromises. This is demonstrated, for example, in the founding of the US and the drafting of the Constitution. The spirit of compromise, however, has vanished and been replaced with confrontation. Complex context lies behind the discussions of a potential civil war and divisions in the US. One, globalization has resulted in a growing gap between rich and poor, and the US government fails to narrow the gap. The COVID-19 epidemic has amplified this problem - the rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer. Against such a backdrop, the sense of political identity in the US has increased. As complaints from all classes are filling up society, people get emotional more easily. And they are using more and more intense ways to present their political demands, be they liberal or conservative, white or non-white. Moreover, former US president Donald Trump intentionally created divisions during his tenure, leading to the inability of the current administration to recover from Trump's presidency. In short, Trump's push for division, as well as the constant impact of factors like the imbalance of social development and the epidemic, has made confrontation a common phenomenon in US society. US politics is so overwhelmingly dominated by the two major parties that the rise of a third party as an emerging force seems almost impossible. Those who belong to neither the Democratic Party nor the Republican Party have no chance but to attach themselves to one of the duo, or simply escape from the US political arena. Meanwhile, amid constant conflicts, neither party is able or willing to cooperate for the sake of the people. Political stalemate emerges. The political struggle in the US goes on and on in the form of extreme confrontation, which will lead to internal conflicts. This will have an impact on the US' sustainable development. For now, it can be seen mainly politically and socially. But if it continues to worsen, it may also affect the US economy, its science and technology innovation, education, and thus its international status. Midterm elections will be held in the US this year. The confrontation between the two parties is expected to become fiercer. The US may slide into a quasi state of civil war. What makes an election year a little bit different though is that the individuality of each politician from both sides starts to become increasingly apparent. Take Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a centrist Democrat who has been a loyal supporter of US President Joe Biden in the Senate. Manchin recently turned his back on Biden over many issues, from the Build Back Better package to the president's call for eliminating a longstanding supermajority rule in the Senate known as the "filibuster." According to US media, Manchin is a "coal magnate who represents one of America's reddest states." He has close ties to the coal industry and has made millions of dollars from US coal companies. Many suggest this is the real reason for his opposition of Biden's Build Back Better plan. For individual politicians, they have to weigh which is more important to them, the interest of their party or the interest of their own. In this sense, the confrontation in the US is becoming not only intensified, but also complicated. |
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