RT News - January 21st 2023 Late

Energy Crisis in Europe. Robert Habeck, German vice-chancellor has accused Pres. Putin of personally causing the energy crisis raging in Europe saying he cut the gas supply off. (QS Most of us would argue with that suggestion strongly and say Berlin's only got itself to blame what with sanctions, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline which should have been commissioned well before it was sabotaged "It's Done" - the pipeline had been ready to go for at least two years. Russian LNG is also still being sold in Europe, with countries like Spain and France and sold with high prices AND commission. Please see posts on this channel about Africa being pushed into a green corner in their sheer hypocrisy in the last few months) Donald Courter and Eunan O'Neill discuss; Prof Andre Thomashausen analyses - Long reports.
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Russian troops have taken Dvurechye (near Soledar) under Russian control. Russian MOD has reported on the Ukraine losses known so far. As aerial drones become a major component of the fighting for Donbass - a weapon increasingly becoming essential in modern warfare - RT takes us to the front lines where our correspondent details the effects of militarized UAV's.
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A senior Indian government minister accuses US pharma giant Pfizer of having attempted to 'bully' New Delhi into providing legal protection from any side effects of its Covid vaccine. India's government demanded the results of clinical trials before it would purchase Pfizer and any other COVID products. India decided to manufacture and trial their own products. Jessmon Thomas, a COVID expert spoke to RT from Silchar, India.

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DAVOS: Pfizer CEO refused to talk to independent press about safety, efficacy and the ability of it's COVID19 to prevent transmission of the virus.

COVIDI9 vaccines in Europe : Deals appear to have been struck based on finance rather than public health concerns. An in depth update of the (anything but transparent) situation from Rachel Marsden (QS : Recall Ursula Von Der Leyen's "deleted texts")
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Below via RT website 1) --- Türkiye cancels visit of NATO hopeful's defence minister
2) --- Japan hit by wave of corporate bankruptcies – data
3) --- China stocks up on Russian gold
4) --- UK losing status of haven for super rich – study
5) --- NATO nation fines Russian sailors over uniforms – media
6) --- Western states agree to two price caps on Russian oil products – US
6a) --- Russia considers slashing oil discounts
7) --- German intelligence ‘alarmed’ over Ukrainian losses – media
8) --- Russian military confirms capture of key Donbass settlement
9) --- US covertly sponsoring ISIS – Moscow
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21 Jan, 2023 11:31

1) --- Türkiye cancels visit of NATO hopeful's defense minister

The move comes after an effigy of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was hung in the Swedish capital

Ankara has called off the planned visit of Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson, his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, revealed on Saturday. The move comes after members of the Kurdish community held an anti-Turkish protest in Stockholm.

“At this point, the visit of Swedish Defense Minister Jonson to Türkiye on January 27 has become neither important, nor meaningful. Therefore, we have canceled the visit,” Akar told reporters on Saturday. He added that his country was still “evaluating” how Sweden and Finland were fulfilling their obligations to Türkiye amid their bids to join NATO.

“We expect Sweden and Finland to do their homework,” the minister stated.

Jonson tweeted that the ministers “decided … to postpone the planned meeting in Ankara until later.”

Last week, Ankara summoned the Swedish ambassador after an effigy of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was hung upside down on a lamp post in the Swedish capital on January 12. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom condemned the act as “abhorrent.”

However, the Swedish authorities rejected Ankara’s call for an investigation, saying that the protesters had not violated any laws. The move caused further outrage in Türkiye, which considers Kurdish political and militant groups, such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), terrorist organizations.

Relations between Sweden and Türkiye deteriorated further after the Nordic country’s police permitted Rasmus Paludan, an anti-Islam activist and leader of a minor far-right Danish party, Stram Kurs (Hard Line), to burn a copy of the Koran near the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm. The police said the act falls under freedom of expression. This prompted the Turkish authorities to summon the Swedish envoy for the second time, local media reported on Friday.

Left-wing Swedish newspaper Flamman launched a competition for the best satirical drawing of Erdogan on Tuesday, with a prize of 10,000 krona ($971). The paper accused the Turkish president of “trying to pressure Sweden to deport Kurds and restrict the freedom of expression.”

The spat takes place as Sweden and Finland hope that Ankara will not block their path to become NATO members. Last year, Türkiye greenlighted the start of the accession process in exchange for the two Nordic countries addressing requests to extradite people with suspected ties to the PKK and similar groups.

Türkiye has since accused Sweden of not fulfilling its obligations under the NATO deal, as the country’s courts rebuffed some extradition bids.
https://www.rt.com/news/570256-turkiye-cancels-swedish-visit/
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21 Jan, 2023 12:57

2) --- Japan hit by wave of corporate bankruptcies – data

The number of insolvencies has reportedly risen for the first time in three years

Japan recorded its first increase in the number of company bankruptcies in three years in 2022, according to a new survey by Teikoku Databank.

The report showed that a total of 6,376 companies declared bankruptcy in the country last year, which is 6% higher than in 2021. Those companies’ total debt soared almost 104% to 2.37 trillion yen (over $18 billion), but almost half of that came from auto parts supplier Marelli Holdings, which filed for bankruptcy protection in June.

The only industry that did not record an increase in the number of bankruptcies among companies was trade, said the report. Meanwhile, the services sector, which includes hotels, non-governmental organizations, language schools and others, was one of the worst affected. Data showed that 1,600 service companies filed for bankruptcy last year, up 12.4% from 2021.

The region with the largest increase in the number of bankruptcies was Tohoku, up 50% from the previous year.

According to a separate report published by Teikoku Databank last Friday, the number of bankruptcies as a result of rising prices in 2022 increased by 2.3 times compared to the previous year.

Inflation in Japan hit 40-year highs in December due to soaring energy costs. Data from the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs showed that price growth in Tokyo last month exceeded forecasts and reached 4% for the first time since 1982.
https://www.rt.com/business/569991-japan-corporate-bankruptcies-rise/
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13 Jan, 2023 06:03

2a) --- Japanese cut spending amid highest inflation in 40 years – survey

A record number of households in the world’s third-largest economy say they’ve been hit by price hikes, the Bank of Japan reports

More than half of Japanese households have experienced worsening living standards as a result of soaring inflation, the latest survey conducted by the Bank of Japan has shown.

In its quarterly report, the BOJ said 53% of people surveyed admitted that their wealth had slumped last year compared to 2021, while only 3.7% said their livelihood had improved. This is the highest percentage of households reporting financial problems in almost 13 years.

The report indicates that consumers will be unwilling to increase their spending without growth in wages as a record 63% of respondents named inflation as a decisive factor for their spending activity this year.

Data shows that price growth is spreading across various sectors of the Japanese economy and companies are passing on the burden of rising costs in energy, food and raw materials to households. Aside from utility bills, prices rose for a broad range of goods from fried chicken to smartphones and air conditioners in a sign of mounting inflationary pressure.

In December, price growth in Tokyo exceeded forecasts and reached 4% for the first time since 1982, data from Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs showed.

The Bank of Japan also expects that prices will continue to rise and has doubled its inflation forecast for the coming year to a record 10%.
https://www.rt.com/business/569699-japan-households-spending-inflation/
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21 Jan, 2023 13:46

3) --- China stocks up on Russian gold

Imports of the precious metal surged over 60% last year

China stepped up imports of gold from Russia in 2022, data released by the country’s customs agency on Saturday showed.

Last year, China bought a total of 6.6 tons of Russian gold, worth a record $386.9 million, including shipments in both unprocessed (3.7 tons) and semi-processed form (2.9 tons).

In December alone, gold shipments from Russia to China totaled 220.2 kilograms, worth $14.85 million.

Overall, Russian gold exports to the Asian nation soared by 67.3% in physical terms and by 63.3% in monetary terms from 2021.

However, so far Russia’s share in Chinese gold purchases remains small. The main supplier of gold to China is Switzerland, with sales in 2021 totaling over $34 billion. Rounding out the top five suppliers to China are Canada, South Africa, Australia, and Hong Kong.

Russian gold exports began to fall under Western sanctions in mid-2022. The EU, UK, US, Japan, and Canada banned the purchase, import or transfer, directly or indirectly, of gold originating in Russia and exported from the country. Prior to sanctions, the UK was the largest buyer of Russian gold, having acquired 266.1 tons of the metal (88% of total exports), worth $15.4 billion, in 2021.
https://www.rt.com/business/570254-russia-china-gold-exports/
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21 Jan, 2023 11:54

4) --- UK losing status of haven for super rich – study

Wealthy investors and businessmen are relocating to the EU, Middle East, and Asia, according to a London consultancy

Over 1,000 millionaires left the UK in 2022, several media outlets reported on Friday, citing a study by the investment migration consultancy Henley & Partners.

According to the findings, 1,400 individuals with wealth in excess of $1 million relocated from the country last year. This comes on top of the 2,200 recorded in 2019, 2,800 in 2018 and 4,200 in 2017. The latest departures are said to continue a trend that began shortly after the Brexit vote in 2016, when the UK severed ties with the EU.

A total of around 12,000 millionaires have relocated from the UK since then, Henley & Partners estimates. Prior to the Brexit vote, the UK was registering inflows of high-net-worth individuals.

“Now that Brexit has been entrenched and the very real longer-term consequences are being felt, we have seen increased movement from wealthy UK citizens looking to claw back their EU status by obtaining an EU residence or citizenship by investment,” Stuart Wakeling, head of the London office of Henley & Partners, told The Times.

Many millionaires are also looking to the Middle East and Asia as potentially promising destinations for relocation, according to the consultancy. The United Arab Emirates, for instance, is estimated to have seen the largest inflow of millionaires last year.

A recent study by the Centre for European Reform showed that Brexit has already cost the UK’s economy some £33 billion ($40 billion). The UK’s Office for Budgetary Responsibility recently calculated that the consequences of the 2016 referendum to leave the EU will reduce the UK’s GDP by 4% over the 15-year period from 2016 to 2031, or by some £100 billion.

The UK’s Confederation of Business Industry said last month that the British economy had already fallen into a “short and shallow” recession, and is on track to shrink by 0.4% in 2023 due to high inflation and low investment.
https://www.rt.com/business/570250-uk-loses-status-rich-hub/
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21 Jan, 2023 09:21

5) --- NATO nation fines Russian sailors over uniforms – media

Norwegian police said the clothes could be mistaken for official military attire

Police in Norway have fined two Russian sailors for wearing camouflage work uniforms, which were deemed likely to distress residents, local media reported on Friday.

Last week, police in the city of Kirkenes in Norway's northern province of Finnmark said that they had “carried out immigration checks on Russian sailors” wearing clothes “that could easily be mistaken for military uniforms.”

Speaking to the Norwegian daily Dagbladet, law enforcement officers confirmed that the two men were fined 5,000 Norwegian krone ($500) for wearing the clothes while walking around the city.

Martine Meslo, the prosecuting officer on the case, told the outlet that the men were punished for misusing public uniforms. Meslo said that the outfits “could be mistaken for Russian military uniforms,” and “could create fear and discomfort – given Russia's acts of war and the security political situation – both for the local population, but also among Ukrainian refugees who live here.”

Dagbladet posted the photos of the men with blurred faces, dressed in camouflage outfits with a small flag on the breast and the word ‘Russia’ in Cyrillic. It is not illegal merely to wear camouflage clothes, the report said.

Meslo noted that one of the reasons why the incident resulted in a fine is that Russian sea vessels are deemed “a security threat” and are allowed to enter only three Norwegian ports, including Kirkenes. She added that in the past Russian fishing crews did not usually use such clothing.

Lawyer Bernt Heiberg told Dagbladet that the Russians should not have been fined. “The way the case is presented, I think that the police went too far by issuing a fine for something that does not appear to be punishable,” he stated. He added that the uniforms could hardly have been mistaken for official, even considering that they had a Russian flag on them.

Heiberg also noted that “he has never seen anything like it,” advising the Russians to take the case to the court. Both sailors have accepted the suggestion, according to the outlet.
https://www.rt.com/russia/570251-norway-fine-russian-sailors-uniform/
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21 Jan, 2023 08:15

6) --- Western states agree to two price caps on Russian oil products – US

Refined products trading at a premium or sold at a discount to crude, will be capped differently

The US-led price cap coalition will place two separate price limits on Russian oil products depending on their category, the US Treasury Department said in a statement on Friday.

According to the statement, following a meeting between Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo and deputy ministers representing other G7 countries, EU states, and Australia, the sides also decided to review the price ceiling for Russian crude oil, which came into force last month, in March.

“The Deputies agreed to an approach for refined products that will institute two distinct caps, in addition to the crude cap: one cap for products that generally trade at a premium to crude, such as diesel or gasoil, and one for products that trade at a discount to crude, such as fuel oil. The Deputies agreed that this approach will better calibrate the price cap policy for refined products, given the wide range of market prices at which these products trade,” the statement read.

In December, the coalition introduced a price cap on Russian seaborne oil exports which bans Western companies from providing insurance and other services to ships transporting Russian oil unless the cargo is purchased at or below the set price of $60 per barrel. The price cap on Russian oil products is now due to come into force on February 5.

Moscow has been firmly opposed to all initiatives to cap prices on its exports. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree prohibiting deliveries of Russian oil and petroleum products to countries that directly or indirectly mention the price cap in their contracts.
https://www.rt.com/business/570245-two-price-caps-oil-products/
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19 Jan, 2023 17:06

6a) --- Russia considers slashing oil discounts

January exports haven’t been affected by Western sanctions as the country’s crude remains in high demand, the deputy prime minister says

The discount on Russian oil has grown but it should be reduced as the situation on the market stabilizes, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak announced on Thursday.

He noted that the recent increase in the oil discount was “natural” because buyers had been taking into account risks related to Western sanctions on Russian exports.

An EU embargo on seaborne Russian crude went into effect on December 5 along with a $60 price cap on oil exports as part of Ukraine-related sanctions imposed on Moscow. A ban on EU imports of petroleum products such as diesel and kerosene originating from Russia will come into force on February 5. In response, Russia has banned sales of its crude and petroleum products to nations supporting the price ceiling.

“We will look at how further sales of our export products will be ensured. Our companies [are working out] all the necessary logistics routes, and constantly working on the issues of insurance and purchases,” Novak added.

Russia’s Urals oil blend traded at an average price of $46.82 per barrel between December 15 and January 14, after trading at $57.5 per barrel a month earlier, making an almost 19% drop, according to the country’s Finance Ministry data.

Earlier this month, Novak attributed high discounts on Russian oil compared to other world grades to soaring freight prices.

The official insisted that Russian oil was still in high demand despite sanctions, adding that production and supplies in January remained unchanged from December levels as “we account for a large share in the global export.” Novak pointed out that the world’s energy balance could not be secured without Russian oil
https://www.rt.com/business/570154-russia-oil-discount-cut/
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20 Jan, 2023 20:42

7) --- German intelligence ‘alarmed’ over Ukrainian losses – media

The battle over the strategic city of Artyomovsk has inflicted heavy losses on Ukraine, Der Spiegel has said, citing German intelligence

Germany’s Federal Intelligence Agency (BND) is “alarmed” over heavy losses suffered by Ukrainian troops in the conflict between Kiev and Moscow, the Der Spiegel weekly reported on Friday.

Russian and Ukrainian troops are currently vying for control of the strategic Donbass city of Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut by Ukraine), but the situation there does not look particularly bright for Kiev, the outlet reported, citing a “secret” meeting between BND officials and the German MPs responsible for security decisions.

“The Ukrainian army is currently losing a three-digit number of soldiers every day” in the fight with Russian forces, Der Spiegel said, citing data reportedly presented by intelligence officials during the closed briefing earlier this week.

Earlier this week, The Times reported that Kiev had sent poorly equipped troops with little combat experience to defend Artyomovsk.

If Russian forces manage to seize the city, it would have “serious consequences” for Kiev, the BND warned, adding that control over Artyomovsk would potentially facilitate major Russian advances deeper into Ukrainian-held territory.

The city of Artyomovsk has become a stronghold of the Ukrainian army in the years since the 2014 coup in Kiev. It is part of a 70-kilometer-long defense line created by the Ukrainian forces during the intervening years. Russia claims sovereignty over the city along with the rest of the Donetsk People’s Republic, which joined Russia in October after a referendum. Kiev rejected the vote as a “sham.”

The city remains a major logistics hub for Ukrainian forces in the region and has emerged as a focal point of the conflict for both sides in recent months. Russian troops have achieved several victories in the area over the last several weeks, taking the city of Soledar and the strategic village of Klescheevka among several other settlements as they seek to encircle Artyomovsk.
https://www.rt.com/russia/570235-german-intelligence-ukraine-heavy-losses/
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20 Jan, 2023 15:03

8) --- Russian military confirms capture of key Donbass settlement

Taking the village of Klescheevka paves way to Kiev’s stronghold of Artyomovsk

The strategic village of Klescheevka in Russia’s Donetsk Region has been freed from Ukrainian forces, the Russian Defense Ministry has said.

“The volunteers of assault units with fire support from tactical and army aviation, missile forces and artillery of the Southern Military District have liberated the settlement of Klescheevka,” the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

A day earlier, the capture of Klescheevka was announced by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner Group private military company. While the settlement itself was under Russian control, intense fighting has been taking place on its outskirts, with “the opponent clinging on to every meter of land,” Prigozhin claimed.

Klescheevka, which was populated by just over 500 people before the conflict, had been heavily fortified by the Ukrainian military. It lies 9km southwest of the city of Artyomovsk, called Bakhmut by Ukraine. The capture of the village is vital to the Russian operation to encircle Artyomovsk, which is a major stronghold and logistics hub for Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

The seizure of Klescheevka follows last week’s taking of the key town of Soledar, some 15km northeast of Artyomovsk, and several other villages in the area, by Russian forces. The Defense Ministry earlier praised “the courageous and selfless actions” of the Wagner Group’s strike teams during the battle for Soledar, but also pointed out that the success was achieved by a “mixed group of forces,” including aviation and artillery units.
https://www.rt.com/russia/570210-klescheevka-capture-ukraine-donbass/
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20 Jan, 2023 13:04

9) --- US covertly sponsoring ISIS – Moscow

Washington wants to take revenge on the Taliban for its defeat, the Russian Foreign Ministry says

The US has been reaching out to armed groups that oppose the Taliban and secretly giving money to Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s presidential envoy for Afghanistan, has said.

When asked if the US is in contact with the Afghan opposition in an interview with Russia 24 TV on Friday, Kabulov said, “Yes, there is such data.”

The Americans have been acting this way “because they really want to avenge their shameful military-political defeat in Afghanistan, and in retaliation they do everything so that peace isn’t established in this troubled land,” he claimed.

“But worst of all is that, in addition to contacts with the armed opposition in Afghanistan, the Anglo-Saxons are covertly sponsoring Islamic State, who are aimed at undermining not only the stability of our Central Asian partners… but also the security of Russia,” Kabulov added.

The US and its allies pulled out of Afghanistan in August 2021 after a two-decade intervention. The chaotic withdrawal, which saw billions of dollars’ worth of American military equipment left behind, was carried out after the Taliban swept through the country and captured the capital, Kabul in a matter of weeks, facing little resistance from the Afghan military – which US forces had trained to resist the militants.

The sanctions and the withdrawal of US and other foreign aid to Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover have further deepened the humanitarian crisis in the country. Under previous US-backed administrations, this aid accounted for around 75% of the Afghan budget. According to the UN, around 24.4 million people, or more than half of the country’s population, are currently in need of humanitarian assistance.

In December, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the Biden administration’s decision to leave Afghanistan, saying that if the American forces remained there, “it would have, I think, made much more complicated the support that we’ve been able to give and that others have been able to give Ukraine” amid the conflict with Russia.

The US-based Brown University estimated that the invasion of Afghanistan cost Washington more than $2.1 trillion overall. The US Department of Defense said on Thursday that military aid provided to Kiev since the start of the conflict with Moscow last February has surpassed $26.7 billion.
https://www.rt.com/news/570196-us-afghanistan-taliban-isis/
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20 Jan, 2023 08:15

10) --- Zelensky scolds Berlin for stance on tank deliveries

The Ukrainian president has said not to make excuses if there is no political will to supply the Leopard 2

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky reprimanded Germany on Thursday for its reluctance to send Leopard 2 battle tanks to Kiev, arguing that Berlin should not wait for the US to make a similar move.

Speaking to the state-backed ARD channel, Zelensky commented on media reports that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz would proceed with deliveries of heavy tanks to Ukraine only if the US did the same. Berlin has repeatedly said it would not approve such shipments without coordination with its allies.

The president insisted Germany should not be allowed to say “if America does something, I do something too.” He continued, “You are grown-up people. You can talk like that for six months, but people die here every day.”

Zelensky stated that “if there is no political will on an issue, then you don't have to look for excuses. Then you say: No! You don't have to say that anything or someone is not ready yet.”

He also reiterated his request for the tanks, saying “it's not like we’re attacking, if anyone’s worried. Those Leopards aren't going through Russia. We’re defending ourselves.”

At the same time, he thanked Berlin for the aid packages that had already been provided: “We are grateful. I want everyone to hear that: We are grateful to Germany.”

The German government has been under mounting foreign pressure for several weeks to approve deliveries of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. However, Berlin is reportedly unwilling to do so unless the US also agrees to supply its M1 Abrams tanks. The Pentagon has signaled it is not ready for such a move, stating that its armor is too complex to operate and train on.

The UK earlier this week confirmed it would send fourteen Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, with Poland also committing to provide a company of Leopard 2s. This transfer, however, has yet to be approved by Berlin.

Russia has repeatedly warned Western countries against sending arms to Ukraine, arguing that it would only prolong the conflict. On Monday, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov warned that Western-made tanks provided to Ukraine “will burn” and would not be able to change the outcome of hostilities.
https://www.rt.com/russia/570183-zelensky-scolds-germany-leopard-tanks/
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