RT News - December 16th 2022

Training Day: 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers have already been trained by US and NATO allies since July 2022. The US pledges to extend its combat preparation program for Ukrainian soldiers. This as thousands more troops are already being prepared in other NATO countries. RT speaks with a Ukrainian POW who went through such a program in UK (see also 9) (I think the number stated is low, as UK alone have trained/are training 10,000 Ukraine soldiers see also https://www.thenational.wales/news/20267801.ukrainian-soldiers-arrive-uk-trained-british-forces/ and https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10997291/British-forces-train-Ukrainian-soldiers-fight-against-Putins-war-machine.html there are many other links)

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Protests continue in Peru, many have been killed and injured. The US has ordered a crackdown on the protesters in Peru. That's according to the ousted president Pedro Castillo, who has now been sentenced to at least 18 months in jail by Peru's new US-backed government. Detailed report. Please catch up on background on previous posts.

The 2nd only Africa Leaders’ Summit in a decade wraps up in Washington with America's top diplomat bringing up West's colonial past to criticize Russia. In depth report.

Ghana's president has told his African citizens not to rely on "western money" and work together to change Africa's narrative.

Anti-fascist motion: In the United Nations a Russian proposed motion to combat Nazism, fascism and racism has been adopted. more than 100 delegations voted for the motion leaving a questionable minority. (QS: You'd think after the "failed coup" staged by German .gov and media they would have gone all out to vote for this eh? Britain has once again abstained) *** error *** Britain voted against the motion and thus refused to condemn Nazism (17/12/2022 05:41)

The New York Times is whining again about Russian Media, claiming citations of the "approved media" is "spin". Report.

Investigations in Emmanuel Macron (see yesterday's write up for more background). Report

Afshin Rattansi's Going Underground is back!! My most favourite show on RT has returned - this week's show can be seen at https://rumble.com/user/GoingUndergroundTV PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU SUBSCRIBE for email notifications of new shows.

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Below 1) Ukraine is the ‘only one paying’ – Zelensky
2) --- Blasts heard throughout Ukraine – officials
3) --- EU calls Serbia’s bluff on Kosovo
4) --- Serbia invokes UN resolution on Kosovo
5) --- The European Parliament’s ‘Qatar scandal’
6) --- US military chemical exposure worse than reported
7) --- Poland capitulates to EU on Ukraine funding
8) --- Germany spending $500 billion to ‘keep the lights on’
9) --- US planning more weapons for Ukraine
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15 Dec, 2022 20:35

1) Ukraine is the ‘only one paying’ – Zelensky

A lack of global support means war must continue until total victory, the country's president tells The Economist

Kiev has no choice but to fight to re-establish the country's 1991 borders, because the world failed to guarantee its security and Ukraine is alone in paying the price of the conflict, President Vladimir Zelensky has said in an interview published on Thursday.

The Economist spoke with Zelensky on December 8, but published an edited transcript only a week later. Just two days prior to the interview, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a ceasefire based on current frontlines would be a “phony peace” and that Washington will back Kiev whatever it decides to do and how.

Asked about Blinken’s phrasing – “take back territory that’s been seized from it since February 24” – Zelensky told the UK-based outlet that he actually want to restore the original borders of his country, including Crimea and all of Donbass.

“[This] is how it should end because otherwise it is not finished, it is just frozen. Just to leave it as it is now, to say, OK, let’s stop and they take Donbas, the south of our country, or part of it, and Crimea remains with them … Why?” he said. “We will not be able to, no one would forgive it.”

Freezing the war, he said, means the Russians would get time to “become more powerful occupiers, ready for more occupation, and that’s all.”

Just a day prior to the Economist interview, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted that the 2014 Minsk ceasefire was actually a way to “give Ukraine time” to prepare for war.

Restoring things to where they were on February 23 is impossible, Zelensky argued to The Economist, “because no one understands what security guarantees mean.” The Budapest Memorandum, he argued, meant “the whole world” would come to Ukraine’s rescue.

“But the whole world has not come, as we have seen. We gave away nuclear weapons, exchanged them for security guarantees. Did those guarantees work? No,” Zelensky said.

Ukraine could not “give up” nuclear weapons under the 1994 treaty, because it never had any; Russia was recognized as the sole owner of the Soviet arsenal. Zelensky has received over $40 billion in aid, both military and financial, from the US alone just this year. The US and its allies have pledged to support Zelensky for “as long as it takes” for Russia to lose, while insisting they are not a party to the conflict. Moscow has accused the West of cynically prolonging the conflict and fighting a proxy war “to the last Ukrainian.”

According to Zelensky, the fighting will end only when the entire world sides with Ukraine and forces Russia to withdraw to the 1991 borders, as well as pay reparations “for generations.” He also said he wanted to see regime change in Moscow by the “good Russians,” but that after February 24 “everyone is guilty.”

Russia sent troops into Ukraine in late February, citing Kiev’s failure to implement the Minsk agreements, designed to give the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk special status within the Ukrainian state. The Kremlin recognized the Donbass republics as independent states (they and other regions have since joined the Russian Federation) and demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join any Western military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked.
https://www.rt.com/russia/568332-zelensky-economist-victory-conditions/
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16 Dec, 2022 09:42

2) --- Blasts heard throughout Ukraine – officials

Air alarms have reportedly sounded across the entire country on Friday

The air raid alert was announced for all parts of Ukraine on Friday morning, as media and officials reported explosions in various cities and regions, including in the capital.

The mayor of Kiev Vitaly Klitschko reported explosions in at least three of the capital city's neighborhoods and has urged residents to remain in bomb shelters. Aleksey Kuleba, who heads the Kiev Region’s administration, claimed air defense systems around the capital were engaging incoming missiles.

Reports of explosions and calls on the public to heed warnings about missile threats have come from Kharkov, Dnepropetrovks, Kirovograd, Poltava, and Vinnitsa Regions, among others. Meanwhile, the national system warning about possible airstrikes sounded for all parts of Ukraine by about 8:30 am (6:30 am GMT), according to local media.

There were few immediate damage reports, though the mayor of Khrarkov, Igor Terekhov, reported a blackout. Aleksandr Vilkul, who heads the administration of Krivoy Rog Region, claimed missiles had hit a residential building, without offering further details.

Russia sent troops into Ukraine in late February, citing Kiev’s failure to implement the Minsk protocols, under which the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk were to have been accorded a special status within the Ukrainian state. Moscow recognized the Donbass republics as independent states, which have since voted to join Russia, along with Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.

In October, the Russian military started targeting energy facilities that the Defense Ministry believes to be crucial for Ukraine’s military capability. As a result, the Ukrainian energy system has been significantly degraded, forcing the government to introduce rolling power cuts.

Moscow has justified the change of tactics, stating that it happened only after Kiev launched several sabotage operations against civilian infrastructure in Russia. Days before the shift, a truck bomb had detonated at the Crimean Bridge, killing three civilians and causing serious damage. Russian investigators said the attack was masterminded by Ukrainian military intelligence.

The Russian Defense Ministry has neither confirmed nor denied a new wave of attacks on Friday.
https://www.rt.com/russia/568349-ukraine-missile-attacks-reported/
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16 Dec, 2022 07:58

3) --- Fyodor Lukyanov: As the EU calls Serbia’s bluff on Kosovo, has ‘the end of history’ arrived in the Balkans?
Serbia has nowhere to go and Brussels knows it. But it might still be a dangerous gambit
By Fyodor Lukyanov, the editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs, chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and research director of the Valdai International Discussion Club.

Current events in northern Kosovo resemble an attempt to bring about the “end of history” in the Balkan context. Of course, the same one that was promised 30-odd years ago, on a global scale, hasn’t happened, but the idea behind it has remained in people’s minds.

Francis Fukuyama, the author of the concept, later admitted that he had been hasty and had failed to take into account important circumstances in the development of societies. However, he hasn’t abandoned it, and continues to believe that the predicted triumph of Western liberal ideology, and the corresponding way of life, will still take place, just later than expected.

What has Kosovo got to do with this? The disintegration of Yugoslavia has taken as long as the concept of “the end of history” has existed. And it has been, perhaps, the clearest example of what it meant in practice. The nature of that state – a socialist federal republic – was diametrically opposed to what was thought to be right after the Cold War. Firstly, socialism as a socio-political construct was simply written off as having failed.

Secondly, it was a complex federation dominated by the largest ethnic group. This, to be fair, could be described as being in the spirit of multiculturalism, which has become popular in developed countries over the past couple of decades. But no, because multicultural communities have only been welcomed if they were part of a process that develops from homogeneous to heterogeneous through immigration and the influx of new citizens of different origins.

Thus, multinational states like Yugoslavia or the USSR (or even Czechoslovakia) have instead been perceived through the prism of self-determination. In other words, national aspirations were worthy of support but the desire to maintain (con)federative unions was equated with imperial ambitions.

In general, paradoxically, the notional “end of history” implied that there were nations that had already passed all the required stages of historical development (those in Western Europe, for example) and were ready to be integrated into a proper and, as Fukuyama lamented, rather dull world.

Then there are those who have followed the wrong path and now, in order to get back on course, have to skip over the missed stages at an accelerated pace. In particular, they have to forego national self-determination in order to claim to be part of their new community.

The large multinational states, whether the Soviet Union or Yugoslavia, had their own set of problems which sealed their unenviable fate. The question, however, is more about the machinations of external forces.

Yugoslavia would probably not have survived in its previous form. But it might not have been shattered into so many small state units had mighty outsiders not been involved. From the very first steps – the immediate recognition of the independence of Croatia and Slovenia by Germany and others – to the military operation to separate Kosovo and active support for Montenegro’s independence, leading Western countries consistently implemented a scheme of reducing the Balkan map to the smallest possible mosaic. Bosnia is an exception, where an attempt was made to construct a multi-ethnic confederation. But, firstly, it did not work out very well and it’s still not clear what to do with it. Secondly, another issue was to prevent the strengthening of a country which was seen as the bearer of expansionist instincts (Serbia).

The fact that it was the Serbs who were denied the right to self-determination as they would have liked, i.e. to unite in a single state, can be explained in various ways. From a reluctance (up to a point) to change the previous administrative boundary lines, which could have opened up a Pandora’s Box, to a fear of creating a strong and independent state in the Balkans.

However, if we look at things in the context of the “end of history,” Serbia is a perfect example of attempts to “re-educate” a nation which doesn’t fit into the trajectory that has become the only accepted variant.

Kosovo’s Serb-inhabited northern municipalities are the last territory Belgrade considers its area of responsibility outside of Serbia’s de facto borders. The precedent of recognizing the province’s independence using military force, and without the consent of the official capital, has never been to everyone’s liking, even in Western Europe.

In this context, for a long time the European Union allowed Serbia some leeway – not only the non-recognition of Kosovo’s separation, but also apparently some special rights regarding the Serbs living there. However, it now seems that they have decided not to be patient anymore. Pristina has been given carte blanche to establish full sovereignty over Kosovo. Meanwhile, the province is applying for EU membership, despite the fact that under existing agreements this cannot be done before a settlement.

Objectively speaking, Serbia has nowhere to go. The country is dependent on its neighbors and partners, who are aligned with the EU and it has no alternative development paths other than integration with the bloc. This, obviously, is the EU’s goal – to close the issue by demonstrating to everyone that, in this geopolitical space, it remains the decisive force. The end of history – if not universal, at least specific.

Perhaps it will work now. But experience has shown that successes such as this can open up a new chapter in which the old problems return, in an even more aggravated form. It is possible that the same will happen here.
https://www.rt.com/news/568340-fyodor-lukyanov-serbia-kosovo/
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15 Dec, 2022 21:29

4) --- Serbia invokes UN resolution on Kosovo

Belgrade has made an official request that NATO peacekeepers can’t legally refuse

The government in Belgrade has officially petitioned the KFOR peacekeeping mission for the return of up to 1,000 police to its breakaway province of Kosovo, citing a provision of the UN Security Council Resolution 1244. The request comes as President Aleksandar Vucic accused the ethnic Albanian government in Pristina of “terrorizing” the remaining ethnic Serbs.

The resolution officially put an end to the NATO attack on Serbia in 1999, allowing the US-led alliance to seize Kosovo but nominally guaranteed Serbia’s sovereignty over the province. Kosovo’s provisional government then declared independence in 2008, but neither Serbia nor the UN have recognized it.

Appearing on RTS state television on Thursday evening, Vucic said that KFOR doesn’t have the legal right to reject the request, but will most likely do so anyway. He is prepared to go to the Security Council next, he said.

The security presence is intended to protect Serbian citizens and establish control over the administrative crossings of Jarinje and Brnjak. Local residents have barricaded both checkpoints for several days now, in protest over the deployment of ethnic Albanian police.

Kosovo PM Albin Kurti “openly speaks about wanting to destroy Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija,” Vucic claimed, adding that the local Serbs are unwilling to “suffer his terror” any longer. He also criticized the US and the EU, saying their envoys “literally told me they did not intend to abide by any” of the agreements regarding Kosovo.

Earlier this week, the State Department’s special envoy Gabriel Escobar told a US government outlet that Washington “categorically” opposed the return of Serbian police to Kosovo. In response, Serbian PM Ana Brnabic asked if there were any resolutions, agreements or principles that the West deemed applicable, “or are we just supposed to follow your horoscope in order to guess your wishes?”

Vucic said he was willing to talk about anything, but that recognizing Kosovo or its membership in the UN is simply “unacceptable.” Before anything else can be discussed, Pristina would need to carry out its obligation to establish a community of Serb municipalities, “but I don’t believe they ever will,” he added.

Escobar has also urged Pristina to do this, as an obligation it cannot walk away from, but Kurti’s party publicly refused. Moscow has warned the ethnic Albanian government that it was “playing with fire.”

Meanwhile, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama called Serbia’s request “surreal,” adding that “Kosovo was once and for all liberated from Serbia” more than 20 years ago. Kurti’s party advocates a ‘Greater Albania’ that would include Kosovo as well as parts of Montenegro, Greece, and North Macedonia.
https://www.rt.com/news/568336-serbia-kosovo-police-nato/
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15 Dec, 2022 11:06

5) --- The European Parliament’s ‘Qatar scandal’ is just the tip of a corruption iceberg

The EU is only now considering enacting lobbying-related guardrails that should have been put in place a long time ago
Rachel Marsden is a columnist, political strategist, and host of independently produced talk-shows in French and English.

In a corruption scandal that strikes at the heart of European Union governance, a vice-president of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, of Greece, has been stripped of her responsibilities by the EU Parliament, had her assets frozen, and has been charged after police alleged to have found “bags of cash” at her residence.

There also was a raid on the home of a Belgian MEP, Marc Tarabella, the vice-chair of the EU’s delegation for relations with the Arab peninsula. Belgian authorities paid another no-knock visit to the home of an assistant to yet another MEP. Earlier this week, authorities searched the EU Parliament offices like it was a common crime scene, reportedly seizing data. So far, €1.5 million has been seized from private homes, with the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office accusing the four people arrested and charged with “participation in a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption.” It turns out that the officials alleged to have been involved are accused of also lobbying for visa-free EU-Qatar travel and whitewashing Qatar’s labor rights record.

For an institution like the European Union, which constantly preaches to other countries about how to clean up their act, you’d think they’d have some strong guardrails in place to prevent the kind of things that these charges allege. That isn’t the case. “The allegations are of utmost concern, very serious,” said an uncharacteristically measured European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She proposed an independent ethics body to set rules for EU institutions “where there are very clear rules,” adding that it “would be a big step forward.” You mean that didn’t already exist? Why not?

Those who believe that Western democratic institutions practice what they constantly preach might be surprised to learn that the lack of checks and balances to prevent corruption at home is actually pretty staggering. Earlier this year, for example, three US congressional representatives introduced bipartisan legislation to close loopholes allowing foreign funding of think tanks, government officials, and elections. “Right now, foreign governments are able to secretly fund think tanks to push their own agendas, hire former public officials and military officers to lobby for their interests, and have their agents raise millions of dollars for political campaigns,” explained bill sponsor, Congressman Jared Golden.

It’s almost like systemic corruption is just an open secret that benefits from an omertà as very few officials actually seem to want to acknowledge or address the issue.

When von der Leyen had the opportunity to address the matter with the Brussels press corps on Monday, she stonewalled journalists – much to their frustration, which they weren’t shy about expressing on Twitter. According to Politico, one journalist even shouted at von der Leyen as she was leaving, “You didn’t answer a single one of the questions.” It’s not exactly the kind of behavior you might expect from someone who routinely speaks of holding others accountable for corruption, a lack of transparency, and other undemocratic practices.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola portrayed the scandal as something happening to the EU, rather than a phenomenon for which it’s actually responsible or accountable through its systemic practices at worst or lack of lobbying-related safeguards at best. “Make no mistake: the European Parliament, dear colleagues, is under attack. European democracy is under attack. And our way of open free democratic societies are under attack,” Metsola said.

Metsola’s comments echo mainstream press reports referring to a “Qatar corruption” scandal at the EU, but it should be considered first and foremost a European Union corruption problem. Shifting blame onto Qatar lets the EU off the hook and gives the false impression that the troubles begin and end with a single country. Just how many other countries could be enjoying similar “lobbying arrangements” with folks in positions of political power and influence in Brussels?

Transparency International suggests that this kind of thing is actually pretty commonplace. “This is not an isolated incident. Over many decades, the Parliament has allowed a culture of impunity to develop, with a combination of lax financial rules and controls and a complete lack of independent (or indeed any) ethics oversight,” said the NGO’s director, Michiel van Hulten.

Another problem with this fiasco for the EU is that it harms its well-crafted messaging that constantly drives home two points. The first point is how virtuous and righteous Europe wants people to believe it is. This scandal shines a spotlight on a dirty issue in a dark corner that no one ever evokes, and ultimately tarnishes their halo, which they’re constantly brandishing. The second point that the EU always promotes – and which this all hinders – is how Russia is responsible for all of the EU’s self-inflicted wounds because the EU is so innocent and infinitely competent and trustworthy with absolutely no hidden or special interests.

Corruption in the EU seems to be relative, and open to use as a bargaining chip or to dial up or down pressure. The bloc recently blocked funds to Hungary under the pretext that the country’s institutions are so flimsy that the cash could be used to fuel corruption. But when Hungary agreed to lift its veto of more funding for Ukraine, then suddenly the funding became unblocked, and corruption concerns vanished.

If all of this is just the visible tip of the iceberg when it comes to shady activities in the EU, then how big is the actual iceberg? And is anyone interested in actually digging any deeper to find out?
https://www.rt.com/news/568238-qatar-scandal-eu-corruption/
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15 Dec, 2022 22:04

6) --- US military chemical exposure worse than reported – watchdog
An environmental group has claimed the Pentagon vastly understated the number of potential victims of PFAS toxins on its bases

Exposure to toxic “forever chemicals” on US military bases has affected more than three times as many people as the Pentagon admitted, tainting the drinking water used by over 600,000 troops and family members, an environmental watchdog has claimed.

At issue are chemicals known as PFAS, such as perfluorooctanesulfonic and perfluorooctanoic acid, which are used in firefighting foam, industrial lubricants and hydraulic fluids. The Pentagon acknowledged in April that water supplies had been tainted by PFAS on dozens of its bases, mostly by the flame retardants used by military firefighters, but it pegged the number of people exposed at around 175,000.

The scale of the exposure was vastly understated, mostly because the Pentagon included only bases where water levels had PFAS contaminants greater than 70 parts per trillion (ppt), an old EPA standard, the Washington-based Environmental Working Group (EWG) said on Thursday. The EPA’s new advisory level for unsafe PFAS levels is anything over 1 ppt, though that standard hadn’t been finalized.

The Pentagon report left out several major bases where contamination levels have exceeded 70 ppt, including Fort Leavenworth in Kansas and Fort Bragg in North Carolina, the EWG said. In fact, the water at Fort Leavenworth was found to have 649 ppt of PFAS contaminants. An additional 88 bases fell below 70 ppt but exceeded the revised standard for safe PFAS levels.

“PFAS are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because once released into the environment, they do not break down and can build up in our blood and organs,” the EWG said. The chemicals have been linked to increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer, as well as pregnancy complications and harm to reproductive systems.

The group added that the Pentagon report also failed to account for service members who were exposed to contaminated drinking water provided on bases by non-military utilities. The study offers only a current snapshot of the number of people on the affected bases, ignoring the millions of past residents who could have been exposed.

A Pentagon spokesman told Military.com that the military has worked to address contaminants in its drinking water since 2016 and remains committed to its cleanup duties.
https://www.rt.com/news/568337-pentagon-understates-water-contamination/
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15 Dec, 2022 18:53

7) --- Poland capitulates to EU on Ukraine funding – Politico
Warsaw has been accused of creating a “hostage situation” by leveraging Kiev aid for a tax deal

The Polish government gave in to EU pressure on Thursday and dropped its opposition to a package of policies that involves millions of euros in aid to Ukraine, Politico reported, citing diplomatic sources in Brussels. Warsaw is still feuding with six Western European countries over sanctions impacting Russian fertilizer exports to Africa, however.

At issue was a package deal that involved €18 billion ($19 billion) in aid to Kiev, freezing €6.3 billion in EU funding to Budapest until Hungary completes “reforms” demanded by Brussels, and agreeing to the US-championed minimum corporate tax rate. Having previously agreed to the package, Poland tried to have the tax plan considered separately, according to the outlet.

“There’s a lot of frustration with Poland jeopardizing Ukraine aid by blocking the minimum tax,” an unnamed EU diplomat told Politico on Wednesday, describing the move as “another hostage-taking situation.”

“It’s like an abusive relationship: They keep promising it will be different next time, but deep down we know we will get hurt over and over again,” said another EU diplomat.

By Thursday afternoon, however, Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki dropped his objections. He has also capitulated to Brussels on the “rule of law” issue at home, signaling on Wednesday that Poland will change the disciplinary rules for judges in order to comply with EU directives and unblock millions in funding.

The European Commission has held up €35 billion in pandemic recovery grants and loans until Poland submits. Morawiecki’s Law and Justice Party (PIS) has proposed a bill that would move the disciplinary matters to another top court, which the EU regards as more independent of the government.

His coalition partners may not support it, and the opposition is in no rush to throw Morawiecki a lifeline, however. Nor is it a given that the bill would be enough to mollify Brussels.

Warsaw continues to be obstinate on the matter of sanctions against Russia, however. With the backing of the three Baltic states, Poland wants to maintain the existing embargo on Russian shipping – while Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain have proposed easing the restrictions on fertilizer exports, arguing it increases the danger of famine in Africa.
https://www.rt.com/news/568327-poland-eu-ukraine-aid-sanctions/
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15 Dec, 2022 18:09

8) --- Germany spending $500 billion to ‘keep the lights on’ – media
Berlin’s massive energy subsidies may not be enough to cope with economic effects of the Ukraine crisis, Reuters says

Germany has reportedly allocated nearly $500 billion to shore up its energy supplies and “keep the lights on” since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began last February, but the spending binge might not be enough to weather the crisis.

The estimated total cost reflects the “cumulative scale” of energy bailouts and other schemes that Berlin has employed amid surging oil and natural gas prices and the loss of imports from Russia, Reuters reported on Thursday.

The outlet called the various subsidies an “energy bazooka” – equating to $5,400 per resident in Germany, 12% of GDP and an estimated $1.6 billion per day since the conflict in Eastern Europe began – adding that still more spending may be needed.

“How severe the crisis will be and how long it will last greatly depends on how the energy crisis will develop,” Michael Gromling, head of macroeconomic research at the German Economic Institute, told Reuters.

"The national economy as a whole is facing a huge loss of wealth.”

The economic effects of the conflict stem largely from anti-Russia sanctions imposed by the US, Germany and other NATO members. Despite Western efforts to punish and isolate Moscow, Russian government revenue from oil and gas exports has more than doubled in a year to 10 trillion rubles, about $160 billion, in 2022’s first 11 months. Over the same period, rising energy earnings helped push the government budget surplus to 557 billion rubles.

However, as Reuters noted, Europe’s biggest economy now finds itself “at the mercy” of the weather. “Energy rationing is a risk in the event of a long cold spell this winter, Germany’s first in half a century without Russian gas,” the outlet pointed out.

Stefan Kooths, vice president at Germany’s Kiel Institute for the World Economy, said uncertain energy supplies have pushed the country’s economy to a “very critical phase.” He added, “Where does the German economy stand? If we look at price inflation, it has a high fever.”

Reuters based its calculation of Germany’s spending on bailout packages for energy companies, LNG import infrastructure and funding to help utilities and traders buy gas and coal. “Despite these efforts, there is little certainty over how the country can replace Russia,” the outlet said.
https://www.rt.com/news/568329-germany-spends-500bln-on-energy-crisis/
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16 Dec, 2022 10:47

9) --- US planning more weapons for Ukraine – Politico

The move comes in response to Kiev’s concerns that Moscow could launch a new offensive in the coming months

The US intends to provide Ukraine with more weapons in the near future, extending the strike range of its military, Politico has reported.

The media outlet, citing “six people with knowledge of the discussions,” claimed the move to provide additional supplies was prompted by concerns among top Ukrainian officials that Russia is amassing forces ahead of a major winter offensive.

Politico's report alleges that the Biden administration is currently entertaining the possibility of providing Kiev with, among other things, ground-launched small diameter bombs and high-precision munitions with a range of 150km (94 miles). Also under consideration, according to the article, is the delivery of joint direct attack munition kits, which are used to convert unguided aerial munitions into smart bombs.

These deliveries would be in addition to existing plans for the shipment of Patriot air-defense systems, Politico reported. Several US media outlets have indicated that those plans are in the final stages.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Russia would certainly target these missile systems in Ukraine, should they be deployed there.

On Thursday, Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Patrick Ryder announced the expansion of a training program for Ukrainian military personnel at a US base on German soil. The number of troops attending there each month is reportedly expected to rise to around 500.

In recent days, top Ukrainian officials – including the country’s top military commander, General Valery Zaluzhny, and Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba – have expressed concerns that Russia could launch a massive offensive as early as next month. Zaluzhny did not rule out a new attempt by Moscow’s forces to take the Ukrainian capital Kiev.

He also called on the West to provide Ukraine with more weaponry, saying that an additional 300 tanks, up to 700 infantry fighting vehicles, and 500 Howitzers would be needed to repel the Russian forces.

While the US has already supplied Ukraine with short-range NASAMS air-defense systems, Kiev has been specifically requesting Patriot batteries since October, when Russia began massive missile and drone strikes on the country’s critical infrastructure. Moscow said the new strategy came in response to Ukraine’s attacks on Russian infrastructure, including the Crimean Bridge.

Back in September, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned Washington that “it would cross the red line and become an actual party to the conflict,” should it provide Ukraine with longer-range missiles.
https://www.rt.com/news/568350-report-us-plans-more-weapons-ukraine/
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