RT News - December 18th 2022 Late

Ukraine missiles hit Belgorod, Russia. One civilian is killed and eight wounded in Russia's Belgorod region after shelling from across the border by Ukraine.

Kiev's troops fire dozens of rockets at Donetsk city, hitting several buildings including a kindergarten. RT's correspondent is there to assess the danger to local children.

Serbs rally en masse at a key checkpoint in northern Kosovo against what they call 'unprecedented oppression' by Pristina with NATO-led peacekeepers stepping in to secure the area.

Massive protests in Paris calling for the impeachment of Emmanuel Macron and the end to sanctions which don't bring anyone peace, just hardship to the citizens (RT has been very tactful on this and hasn't shown it but the protests were also massive anti-NATO and called for it's immediate end - see 4a)

Moldova has banned 6 Russian TV channel despite at least 25% of the country having Russian as it's first language. Most people in Moldova know Russian and the channels are popular (were popular). The 9th round of sanctions from EU also targets Russian media outlets and will "freeze their assets" - catch up on previous posts on this channel.

Most people understand that the sanctions imposed on Russia are causing hardship and harms to the citizens in those countries who impose them; so do many analysts but nobody is listening to either.

The Africa Leaders’ Summit wraps up in Washington, where America's top diplomat shifted the focus to Russia, instead of the real problems Africans face.

The Cambridge Dictionary confusion. (QS: can't comment on this as I am way too old to understand what's going on in these things)
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Below : 1) -- Ukraine strikes Russia
2) -- What went wrong - Russia gave the west a chance
3) -- Biden sexual assault accuser Tara Reade ready to testify
4) -- Soaring energy prices cost EU $1 trillion
4a) anyone got twitter ? Massive anti-NATO protest in France
5) -- Ghost of Soviet Union still haunts Washington – Moscow
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via RT website 18 Dec, 2022 11:20

1) --- At least one dead, several injured following Ukrainian strikes in Russia – governor

Air defense systems have been activated over the area that borders Ukraine, Vyacheslav Gladkov announced on social media

A civilian has been killed and at least eight others injured in a Ukrainian attack on western Russia’s Belgorod Region, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov has reported on Telegram.

“Our air defense system worked over Belgorod and Belgorod Region,” he wrote on Sunday.

Gladkov previously reported that four people had been injured in the city of Belgorod.

“I spoke to two of them at the scene. A man was wounded in the back, while a woman was wounded to the face. The two children were miraculously unharmed,” the governor wrote on his Telegram channel. He added that 14 houses and nine cars were damaged.

Gladkov also said one person was killed on the outskirts of the regional capital, and another one was wounded. “A poultry farm was damaged,” he added. More info see https://t.me/vvgladkov/1430

Russian territories bordering Ukraine, such as Belgorod and Bryansk regions, have repeatedly come under attack since Moscow launched its military operation against its neighbor in late February.
https://www.rt.com/russia/568449-belgorod-strikes-injured-defense/
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18 Dec, 2022 12:20

2) --- Fyodor Lukyanov: One year ago, Russia gave the West a last chance to prevent a full-blown conflict – what went wrong?

Towards the end of 2021, the Kremlin made an attempt to push the West to negotiate on Russia’s long-standing political and defense grievances
(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.)

It's been a year since a Russian document outlining proposals (or demands, if you prefer) for long-term guarantees on European security was delivered to NATO and the US. This was the starting point of the major politico-military crisis that defines the global situation today.

Was the Russian ultimatum (and that is how it was formulated) designed to be rejected, or did it envisage a path to negotiations?

President Vladimir Putin probably reasoned along the following lines: after so many years of ignoring our wishes and convictions, let's give it one last chance. Let's put forward the maximum set of demands, everything that has been said before, but outline them in one place and in a concentrated form, and see what happens. If they realize that this time that it’s extremely serious, and with that in mind, decide on a real discussion, we are ready. However, if they start to waste time again, then that's it. Let's cut to the chase.

If the response from the West was not satisfactory, the military operation in Ukraine would be the next step. There was apparently no chance of avoiding it by then. After all, the logic behind the need for the offensive was outlined in Putin's big article in the summer of 2021. That is, the security demands were made when the internal readiness for action was already in place.

The scale of the consequences leads many to return to the question: Was what happened inevitable? The argument that “we had no choice,” often heard at the highest level in Moscow, is problematic because it effectively means that Russia’s previous policies were wrong. A policy which leads to no alternative solution, i.e. forcing one to act in a certain way and no other way, cannot be considered successful.

So an analysis of the long period since the early 2000s will at some point be an important lesson for the future. Was there an urgent need to make demands and initiate the military operation at that point in time? Based on what we know now (which is probably not everything), there was room for maneuver and an opportunity to prepare better. Strategically, a conflict over Ukraine was probably inevitable, but the specific circumstances and timetable could have been different.

Is anyone in the West kicking themselves right now? An ultimatum can only be accepted by great powers, and even more so by superpowers, as a result of a military defeat. So there was, I think, no chance of the demands being accepted.

I have to say that the consultations that took place in January 2022 showed that the US was ready for some concessions on specific issues of military security. To a greater extent than they had indicated before the demands were made. However, this amounted to very little relative to the overall picture. Most importantly, NATO and the Americans categorically refused to discuss the main political issue: a formal rejection of NATO expansion.

For them, this is unacceptable because the military bloc’s enlargement is the basis of the entire international security philosophy as it has been understood in the West since the end of the Cold War.

But even beyond this, in the West there is a complete absence (or perhaps a disappearance) of reflection on the history behind current events. The view that Russia has no political, economic or moral right to demand anything has become an axiom and a basis for policy. And what has happened even seems to have brought some form of relief – there is no need to pretend any more.

After one year, how should we assess the outcome for our country, based literally on what was said in the document? The main outcome is that the politico-military situation has changed radically. Consequently, Russia's dissatisfaction with the previous state of affairs has been partially sated. As it was, it will no longer be.

NATO will not take further expansion lightly, realizing that the “nothing will happen in response” point of view no longer applies. Admittedly, this does not preclude a deliberate expansion for declared anti-Russian purposes, if there is enough determination, and that determination could well be inversely proportional to Russia's military achievements.
https://www.rt.com/russia/568451-fyodor-lukyanov-one-year-ago/
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18 Dec, 2022 14:43

3) -- Biden sexual assault accuser Tara Reade is ready to testify to Congress, and believes other victims will go public

Republicans have expressed willingness to properly investigate her allegations

Feature: Bradley Blankenship (Bradley Blankenship is an American journalist, columnist and political commentator. He has a syndicated column at CGTN and is a freelance reporter for international news agencies including Xinhua News Agency. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.)

On December 7, US President Joe Biden signed into law the Speak Out Act, which, according to his Twitter account, is “a bill that’ll enable survivors to speak out about workplace sexual assault and harassment and increase access to justice.” Also trending on Twitter that day was a woman by the name of Tara Reade, who leveled credible sexual assault allegations against the president during the 2020 Democratic primary season.

Reade has been in the news again after Republicans vowed to keep the president accountable after winning control of the House of Representatives in the latest midterm elections in November. Part of that accountability, for Republicans, also means investigating Reade’s allegations.

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert publicly said she was in favor of investigating these claims. Reade has been doing the rounds in conservative media of late. Representative Matt Gaetz even reached out to Reade privately to commend her courage, according to Reade herself. It can be inferred that he will also join the effort to investigate Joe Biden over these allegations.

The allegations stem back to 1993 when Reade worked for then-Senator Joe Biden as a staffer. According to her account, he sexually assaulted her at the Capitol that year and she later filed an official complaint against him. Nothing ever came of that complaint and Reade drifted away from her position with the Delaware senator.

The story is much like many that have come out since the beginning of the ‘Me Too’ movement: Powerful men using their positions to silence victims. This is even more clear with what Biden allegedly told Reade after the assault, “You’re nothing.”

Along with these alleged efforts from Biden’s team to silence Reade, there have also been some sketchy details that emerged after she came forward with her story. For example, the Department of Justice issued a subpoena to Twitter asking for key personal details about Reade and her account shortly after she went public in 2020. It is also anticipated that Reade may have some link to the Twitter Files, e.g., there might have been efforts by Twitter to reduce the visibility of her account or tweets mentioning her – but the full details of that story have yet to emerge.

At any rate, Republicans look set to use their renewed power in the House starting next session to provide oversight over the Biden administration. There are a number of subjects that conservatives have lined up in recent days, but certainly, Reade’s allegations are among the most key. She has repeatedly made it clear that she is willing to testify before Congress – that is, under the threat of perjury – and defend her testimony.

“I have given up hope for actual justice. I do hope at the least [for] a proper Congressional investigation into Joe Biden. This may open the door to other women who were also afraid, silenced and also for staff to tell the truth under oath,” Reade commented about the possibility of testifying.

Reade said that she’s aware of two other alleged victims of Biden who are afraid to come forward publicly but have spoken to her personally. She thinks that the way she’s been treated, “doxxed and bullied in media and social media,” has made others worried about going public, but that a proper investigation would “allow them to feel more safe.” She believes her testimony in an investigation would “open the gates to allow others to step forward.”

She also commented on how brutal the smears of her have been, including “slut shaming, class shaming, threats and harassment.” Reade claims that Biden “has weaponized the intelligence community to abuse his power for a small cabal of elites and I was also a target.” But, at the same time, she believes that the high cost of the attempts to silence her speak to how worried Biden must be – while she is still standing.

“I look forward to shining the truth where there has been whispers and darkness. I hope Joe Biden will be held accountable for the sexual assault against me and any other crimes of abuse of power to silence me. Joe Biden should resign as, in my opinion, he is not fit for office. No one is above the law,” she concluded.

The new Congress will be inaugurated on January 3, which will see Republicans take a slight majority in the House of Representatives. This will allow them to open up investigations into his alleged misconduct, including the allegations brought forth by Reade. As stated earlier, Republican lawmakers have expressed a willingness to take on her mantle and open up a formal investigation into the incident.
https://www.rt.com/news/568264-tara-reade-allegations-biden/
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18 Dec, 2022 14:55

4) -- Soaring energy prices cost EU $1 trillion – Bloomberg

The estimated drain is reportedly just the start of deepest energy crisis in decades

EU member states have spent roughly a trillion dollars (€940 billion) in the face of the bloc's worst energy crisis in decades, Bloomberg is reporting on Sunday, citing calculations based on market data.

Soaring energy prices have sent its economies plunging into recession as most member states opted to stop importing gas from Russia, facing the necessity to turn to more expensive supplies.

The agency highlighted that the total estimated losses marks just the beginning of a full-scale crisis, as a period of high prices for energy could last years, while aid is already becoming unaffordable.

The security of energy supply is expected to remain an issue beyond next winter after the filled gas storage facilities across the region are emptied. The nations of the EU will have to refill their gas reserves for the next cold season with no deliveries from Russia, which also heats up competition for tankers.

Even with more import terminals for liquefied natural gas (LNG) coming online, the crisis will reportedly loosen its grip only in 2026, when additional production capacity from the US or Qatar becomes available. At the same time, prices should remain high to attract LNG away from other buyers from energy-hungry Asian buyers.

A state of emergency could linger for years, according to Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, as quoted by Bloomberg.

“Once you add everything up –bailouts, subsidies– it is a ridiculously large amount of money,” Martin Devenish, a director at consultancy S-RM, told the agency. “It’s going to be a lot harder for governments to manage this crisis next year.”

A rush to fill storage during summer, despite all-time high prices, has softened the supply squeeze so far. However, freezing weather is expected to give the region’s energy system the real test this winter.

Last month, Germany’s energy regulator, the Federal Network Agency, warned that German households and small businesses have failed their first gas-saving tests. The regulator noted that a reduction in consumption of at least 20% was required to avoid a gas shortage in the coming months.
https://www.rt.com/business/568458-eu-trillion-energy-cost-crisis/
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4a) anyone got twitter ? https://twitter.com/f_philippot/status/1604117624585060353
https://twitter.com/f_philippot/status/1604167801824239617
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18 Dec, 2022 16:54

5) -- Ghost of Soviet Union still haunts Washington – Moscow

The US is using the conflict in Ukraine to fulfil its decades-long goal of weakening Russia, envoy Anatoly Antonov told Newsweek

The US’ support for Ukraine is motivated by a Cold War-era desire to weaken Russia and make Europe its subordinate, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov told Newsweek on Saturday. However, he foresees a new “multipolar world” emerging.

Speaking to the American magazine a week after the Pentagon announced a fresh $275 million arms package for Ukraine, Antonov remarked that Washington “seems to need to constantly assert itself through competition with Russia.”

The Pentagon’s most recent National Defense Strategy describes Russia as “an acute threat” to US interests, and mandates that the US military equip itself to “prevail in conflict” against Moscow “if deterrence fails.”

“It looks as if the ‘ghost’ of the Soviet Union is still haunting the corridors of power in the American capital, and the Сold War has not ended at all,” Antonov told Newsweek. “Many politicians here still think and act according to the laws of that historical period. They believe that restoration of Russia’s international prestige with Vladimir Putin’s accession to power in our country has become a ‘headache’ for Washington.

“With the conflict in Ukraine, the United States is better placed to implement its ‘idee fixe’ to weaken Russia,” Antonov said. “It is much easier to consolidate society within the United States and in the Western camp as a whole around the image of a ‘foreign enemy that undermines the values of the democratic world.’”

At the same time, the US can use “Russia to justify its unprecedented military spending,” while simultaneously “ruining mutually beneficial ties between Russia and Europe, making the latter fully dependent on Washington.”

The EU’s self-imposed energy embargo on Russia – which the US has encouraged – has already cost the bloc nearly $1 trillion, Bloomberg reported on Sunday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the destruction of the Russia-EU Nord Stream gas pipelines as a “tremendous opportunity” for the EU to abandon Russian gas, and the US has already stepped in to sell Europe its own, higher priced, liquefied natural gas.

“At first glance, it may appear that Americans are 'winning' everywhere,” Antonov said. “However, things are different. It is clear that we are at the beginning of a complex and long journey of building a multipolar world,” in which “the Russian Federation advocates that the interests of all participants should be taken into account in the future system of international relations.”

Russia’s proposals, he said, are finding “more and more understanding and support in various regions of the planet.”
https://www.rt.com/news/568462-russian-ambassador-interview-soviet/
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