RT News - February 24th 2023 Late

Transnistria/Moldova: Apparently Ukrainian operatives/saboteurs dressed as Russian soldiers are intending to attack Moldova to give Ukraine a pretext to invade Transnistria. The Moldovan prime minister "called for calm" Moldova's government collapsed and its pro-EU prime minister has stepped down after 18 months of political and economic turbulence on 10th February. Former defence adviser Dorin Recean, who is also pro-EU is nominated/pro-tem as the next prime minister. Moldova is Europe's poorest country; the conflict in raging in Ukraine has caused inflation, a refugee influx (750,000 Ukrainians) and higher energy costs caused by non-payment of bills by Moldova .gov https://energynews.pro/en/moldova-can-no-longer-pay-gazprom/
In November Gazprom said it would make extensions to the supply but this is all complicated by the fact the gas goes through Ukraine whilst Moldova says it has paid some of the bills. There have been many protests in the past year or so. It's very complicated but just another reason why the Moldovan government isn't very popular with anyone except the west at the moment.
Ukraine obviously wants to take advantage of this mess and Moscow has been warned of a "provocation" false flag operation.
Moscow warns the West and Ukraine that it would 'respond' if Kiev were to invade the Moldovan breakaway region of Transnistria, where Russian peacekeepers have been stationed for more than three decades. There are about 1,200 Russian peace keeping troops in Transnistria. Chris Emms and Peter Scott explain more. (QS this is a very serious situation)

Show more

United Nations Security Council: China has called on the West to stop abusing unilateral sanctions and do their share in deescalating the war in Ukraine saying, dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solutions to the conflict. China accuses NATO of continuing a cold war mentality and has proposed a 12 point peace plan for the conflict in Ukraine. China also says NATO is exploiting the conflict in Ukraine to expand and use it's gains against China. Yunfei Zhao and Josef Gregory Mahoney report and analyse.

In an interview to 'Going Underground' renowned investigative journalist Seymour Hersh breaks down the alleged US sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, which he recently exposed in a bombshell report that's been denied by Washington. Trailer here https://rumble.com/v2aq2t6-seymour-hersh-explains-why-us-decided-to-blow-up-nord-stream.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=2 The full interview can be seen tomorrow on the Going Underground TV channel on Rumble. (QS: also see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9roLUHoEi4 - "Investigate Nord Stream Revelations" )

The conflict in Ukraine - 12 months on. Ronald Courter recaps the developments of the past year. In depth feature.
-
==========================================
Via RT website ---- i) --- Russia warns US, NATO, and Ukraine over Transnistria
A) --- Pentagon unveils new major Ukraine aid package
B) --- The resolution passed by the General Assembly is “detrimental” to ending the conflict
C) --- Biden team has ‘deeply rooted hatred for Russia’ – US congressman
D) --- US reveals more anti-Russia sanctions
D 1) --- Exemptions in new EU anti-Russian sanctions revealed
-
1) --- US and UK stall on jets for Ukraine
2) --- US defence official reveals timeline for tank deliveries to Ukraine
3) --- Biden ‘lied’ about Nord Stream blasts – Seymour Hersh
3a) --- UN Jeffrey Sachs & Ray McGovern give testimony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_EX-VwKjng
4) --- EU’s energy war with Russia is not over – IEA
4a) --- Germany to double down on renewable energy – minister
4b) --- Germany considers diverting ‘green’ subsidies to arms production – Bloomberg
5) --- US lawmaker demands Syria troop withdrawal *important*
6) --- US started both Iraq and Ukraine conflicts – former state senator to RT
7) --- Whistle-blower exposes new FBI scandal
8) --- Google accused of destroying evidence in antitrust suit
8a) --- Google to expand ‘disinformation’ campaign in Europe
8b) --- Google to ‘inoculate’ Eastern Europeans against disinformation
9) --- IMF advises against making crypto legal tender
==============================================

24 Feb, 2023 11:58

i) --- Russia warns US, NATO, and Ukraine over Transnistria

Moscow says it will respond to any “provocation” by Kiev against Russian peacekeepers in the Moldovan breakaway region

Any action by Ukraine or the West that poses a threat to Russian peacekeepers or nationals in the Moldovan breakaway region of Transnistria will be seen as an attack on Russia, the country’s Foreign Ministry has stated. It warned Kiev and its Western backers against carrying out “provocations” there.

In a statement released on Friday, Russian diplomats cited data from the country’s Defense Ministry, according to which Ukraine has amassed considerable numbers of military personnel, as well as hardware and artillery on its border with Transnistria. In light of this, Moscow warned the “US, NATO member states and their Ukrainian underlings against any further adventurous steps.”

While Russia favors “political-diplomatic” ways of resolving issues, “no one should have any doubt that the Russian armed forces will react appropriately to any provocation by the Kiev regime,” the statement reads.

Moscow stressed that it is determined to protect its citizens, peacekeepers, and military personnel stationed in Moldova’s breakaway region.

Any actions posing a threat to their security will be viewed, according to international law, as an attack against the Russian Federation.

The report of a Ukrainian military buildup along the country’s border with Transnistria was issued by the Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday.

The territory on the left bank of the Dniester River proclaimed independence from Moldova in the early 1990s, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Around 1,100 Russian soldiers are stationed in Transnistria as peacekeepers in order to monitor a 1992 ceasefire between Moldovan and local forces.
https://www.rt.com/russia/572014-us-nato-kiev-transnistria-provocation/

REPOST from this morning 24 Feb, 2023 05:56

Ukraine poised to invade neighbor – Russian MOD

Kiev is amassing troops near the border with Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region, according to the military

Ukraine is gearing up to invade Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Thursday evening.

The MOD reported a “significant buildup of Ukrainian military personnel and equipment near the Ukrainian-Transnistrian border,” as well as the setting up of artillery positions and an “unprecedented” increase of drone flights over the region.

“The Russian Armed Forces will respond appropriately to the impending provocation by the Ukrainian side,” the ministry said.

The territory on the left bank of the Dniester River broke away from Moldova and declared itself an independent republic in the early 1990s. Its predominantly Russian-speaking population did not want to remain a minority in the country, which itself became independent during the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Around 1,100 Russian soldiers are stationed in Transnistria as peacekeepers, monitoring the 1992 ceasefire between Moldovan and local forces. It is estimated that half of Transnistria’s 500,000 residents now have Russian citizenship.

In a statement on Thursday, the Russian MOD said the potential attack from Ukraine “would be conducted in response to a supposed Russian offensive from the territory Transnistria.”

Valeriu Mija, Moldova’s secretary of state for defense, dismissed Russia’s claim as “an element of a psychological operation.” He added that the authorities are monitoring the situation on the ground.

The news comes amid tensions between Moscow and Chisinau. Moldovan President Maia Sandu accused Russia earlier this month of plotting to topple the government in her country. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Dorin Recean said that Russian peacekeepers should leave Transnistria.

Moscow denied the allegations of plotting a coup in Moldova and said it is not attempting to meddle in the country’s domestic affairs.
https://www.rt.com/russia/572005-russian-claims-ukraine-moldova/
=============================================

24 Feb, 2023 16:08

A) --- Pentagon unveils new major Ukraine aid package

The US has pledged to provide more weapons and equipment to the tune of $2bn, including several types of drones and munitions

Washington is shelling out another $2 billion to shore up the Ukrainian military, the Pentagon has announced. The US Department of Defense stressed yet again that the White House, along with its Western allies, will continue to support Kiev “for as long as it takes.”

In a statement on Friday, the first anniversary of Russia’s offensive in Ukraine, the Pentagon said that its commitment to supporting Kiev had “only strengthened” over the past 12 months.

The latest security assistance package places particular emphasis on additional unmanned aerial systems, including Switchblade 600 UAS kamikaze drones, as well as anti-drone and electronic warfare detection equipment. On top of that, Washington has pledged to supply Ukraine with an undisclosed number of missiles for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (M142 HIMARS) and 155mm artillery rounds.

The Pentagon said that unlike ‘Presidential Drawdown’, the weapons comprising the latest package will not be sourced from the US Army’s own stocks, but rather procured specifically from the manufacturers.

The DOD vowed to continue providing Ukraine with “capabilities to meet its immediate battlefield needs.”

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned US Ambassador to Moscow Lynne Tracy, issuing her a “formal demarche” over the “growing involvement of the United States in hostilities on the side of the Kiev regime.”

Moscow accused Washington of “pumping the Ukrainian military with arms and providing it with targeting information for strikes on Russian military and civilian infrastructure.” This proves that the US has effectively become a party to the conflict, the ministry said.

Russian diplomats also told their American colleague that Washington’s “aggressive course” of action was only serving to “deepen confrontation” with Moscow.

The demarche came hard on the heels of President Joe Biden’s surprise visit to Kiev on Monday. While in the Ukrainian capital, Biden pledged an additional $500 million in military assistance to the country, including more artillery ammunition, rockets, and anti-armor systems.

According to the Pentagon’s estimates, the US has earmarked around $30 billion in military aid to Ukraine as of February 20.
https://www.rt.com/news/572021-pentagon-ukraine-military-aid/
=============================================

24 Feb, 2023 10:59

Russia responds to UN vote on Ukraine

B) --- The resolution passed by the General Assembly is “detrimental” to ending the conflict, Moscow’s envoy said

The non-binding “anti-Russian” resolution of the UN General Assembly will not bring the world closer to ending the Ukraine conflict, Vassily Nebenzia, Moscow’s permanent envoy to the organization, said following a resolution passed on Thursday.

The resolution calls for Russia to “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.” It also condemns Moscow for “aggression” against the neighboring state.

The document was backed by 141 countries, while seven, including Russia, voted against it. A total of 32 UN members, including China and India, abstained.

Ahead of the vote, Nebenzia slammed it as “detrimental” to the prospects of ending the conflict. “How can UN members aid a peaceful resolution to the heightened contradictions between Russia and the West? We can say with certainty: the tabled resolution will surely not help,” the diplomat stated.

[The document] is aimed at encouraging the West’s actions and at giving a pretext for our opponents to claim that Russia is supposedly isolated in the world. It means the continuation of their militaristic Russophobic line while using the so-called support from UN members as cover.

The General Assembly rejected an amendment proposed by Belarus that urged countries to “refrain from sending weapons to the zone of [the] conflict” and called for “the start of peace negotiations.”

Moscow sent troops into Ukraine exactly a year ago, citing the need to protect the people of Donbass, a predominately Russian speaking region, and Kiev’s failure to implement the 2014-2015 Minsk peace accords. Ukraine has accused Russia of unprovoked aggression.

Speaking before the General Assembly, Nebenzia reiterated that Russia launched its offensive “in order to end the eight-year war waged by the Kiev authorities against the people of Donetsk and Lugansk.”

The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics broke away from Ukraine shortly after the 2014 Western-backed coup in Kiev. The two republics, together with two other former Ukrainian regions, eventually joined Russia after holding referendums in September.
https://www.rt.com/russia/572011-russia-un-ukraine-vote/
==========================================

24 Feb, 2023 13:45

C) --- Biden team has ‘deeply rooted hatred for Russia’ – US congressman

Senior State Department officials Victoria Nuland and Antony Blinken are “dangerous fools,” Paul Gosar declared

Senior officials at the US State Department are attempting to get the country “involved in another world war” with Russia, Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar tweeted on Friday. Gosar, Twitter CEO Elon Musk, and former president Donald Trump, have all named Victoria Nuland as the most dangerous among this group in recent days.

Responding to an RT article on Musk accusing Nuland of “pushing this war” in Ukraine, Gosar declared that the billionaire “is correct.”

“Both Nuland and Blinken have a deeply rooted irrational hatred of Russia, and they seek to get the US involved in another world war,” he continued. “These are dangerous fools who can get us all killed.”
-
https://twitter.com/RepGosar/status/1628837501220560898
-
In a follow-up tweet, Gosar wrote that “as a non-soldier, Nuland is quite willing to endorse violence and war.” The Republican lawmaker then quoted the article, which stated that Nuland had “endorsed regime change in Russia, celebrated the US’ destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines, and called for the indefinite flow of arms into Ukraine.”

As assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs in 2014, Nuland helped to orchestrate the pro-Western coup that unseated democratically elected president Viktor Yanukovich. Nuland traveled to Kiev and promised military aid to the rioters, and was recorded plotting to install a successor to Yanukovich.

As Biden’s secretary of state, Blinken has promised to keep weapons flowing into Ukraine “for as long as it takes,” and advised Kiev in December not to seek the kind of negotiated settlement that would liken to a “phony peace.”

Gosar has been a persistent critic of the Biden administration’s Ukraine policy since Russia’s military operation began a year ago on Friday. However, although the Republican Party now controls the House of Representatives, there is little the Arizona congressman can do to change the administration’s course. A significant bipartisan majority supports continued military aid to Ukraine, with only 11 Republicans, Gosar included, sponsoring legislation that would cut funding for Kiev.

These Republicans are all allies of former president Donald Trump. In a campaign video released on Tuesday, Trump blamed the situation in Ukraine on Nuland and “others like her” in the Biden administration. Nuland, he said, was “obsessed with pushing Ukraine towards NATO,” adding that the conflict would have “never happened if I was your president.”
https://www.rt.com/news/572017-blinken-nuland-hate-russia/
=============================================

24 Feb, 2023 16:41

D) --- US reveals more anti-Russia sanctions

The Ukraine-related embargo targets “over 200” entities and individuals, including Swiss and Israeli nationals

As part of the G7 effort to “isolate” Moscow from global markets and finance, the US on Friday sanctioned dozens of companies, individuals and ships “linked” to Russia, along with raising tariffs on Russian goods whose import Washington still allows.

The measures are designed to “further degrade Russia’s economy and diminish its ability to wage war against Ukraine,” the White House said, and apply to not just Russians, but “third-country actors across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East” whom the US government has accused of supporting Moscow.

Nearly 90 Russian and Chinese companies have been placed on the export control list by the US Department of Commerce. President Joe Biden will also impose tariffs on “more than 100 Russian metals, minerals, and chemical products,” whose imports are valued at $2.8 billion.

Though acknowledging this will “significantly increase costs for aluminum that was smelted or cast in Russia” to US consumers, the White House insisted the measures were calibrated to “minimize market disruptions.”

The Treasury Department’s sanctions targeted 83 entities and 22 individuals, of which more than 30 are “third-country individuals and companies connected to Russia’s sanctions evasion efforts.“

Among them were Marat Savelov and Olga Raykes, Russian-Israeli nationals who founded the financial services company Confideri and the Austrian-based Vend Ore GmbH, both now sanctioned for “operating or having operated in the financial services sector” of the Russian economy.

Also on the list are the Swiss-Italian businessman Walter Moretti and “his network of associates and companies,” which the US claimed have “covertly procured sensitive Western technologies and equipment” for the Russian military and intelligence services.

The latest US sanctions also targeted a dozen financial institutions, including the Credit Bank of Moscow, one of Russia’s ten largest banks. Other names that stood out on the sanctions list were TV host Olga Skabeeva and the Sparta battalion of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) armed forces.

The US and its allies accused Russia of an “unprovoked, unjustified invasion” of Ukraine last year. Moscow has said the special military operation in the neighboring country was a forced response to Kiev’s refusal to implement the Minsk Agreements and preparations to seize Donbass by force.
https://www.rt.com/news/572022-new-us-sanctions-russia/
====================
24 Feb, 2023 16:25

D 1) --- Exemptions in new EU anti-Russian sanctions revealed
The looming restrictions from the bloc will not target Moscow’s nuclear industry, the Hungarian foreign minister says

The upcoming EU package of anti-Russian sanctions will “definitely” exclude the country’s nuclear energy branch, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told RIA Novosti on Friday. The top diplomat revealed that Budapest was firmly opposed to targeting the industry with restrictions, adding that several other EU countries have also backed this stance.

“We objected very strongly to this move, and there were some other member states, not too many, but some that sided with us in this regard,” Szijjarto said, adding that some other unspecified nations eagerly backed the idea of slapping restrictions on Russia’s nuclear energy sector.

Budapest has had a direct interest in exempting the industry from sanctions, given the deal with Moscow to expand its Paks Nuclear Power Plant. Halting the construction of the additional power units at the facility would greatly damage the country, Szijjarto explained.

“If we are unable to proceed with the construction of the Paks II nuclear power plant, then we will largely lose the guarantee of our long-term energy security. I think that the energy sector should be completely exempted from sanctions, given the fact that energy is a physical issue that has nothing to do with politics or ideology,” the minister emphasized.

Hungary has repeatedly voiced opposition to the sanctions imposed on Moscow by the EU over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Budapest has argued that the restrictions have damaged the bloc’s economy itself, but failed to meaningfully impact Russia.

The EU was expected to adopt its tenth package of anti-Russian sanctions by February 24 to mark the one-year anniversary of Moscow’s special military operation against Kiev. So far, however, the bloc’s member states have failed to agree on the package, struggling to find new areas of the Russian economy to target with restrictions, an issue that was acknowledged by President of the European Council Charles Michel earlier this week. Poland, one of Kiev's top supporters, has threatened to block the looming package altogether on account of it being too “weak.”
https://www.rt.com/news/572023-hungary-russia-sanctions-energy/
-
Recall - 16 Feb, 2023 - Budapest will do everything possible to exclude restrictions on Russian oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline and nuclear cooperation with Moscow from the next package of EU sanctions, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated on Thursday.

According to Szijjarto, the European Commission continues to propose restrictions on Russia that exacerbate the economic crisis in Europe and threaten Hungary’s energy security.
https://www.rt.com/business/571587-hungary-eu-sanctions-russia-nuclear-industry/
-
=============================================
24 Feb, 2023 15:31

1) --- US and UK stall on jets for Ukraine

Washington and London both consider warplanes a longer-term defense strategy for Kiev

Neither the US nor the UK will give Ukraine fighter jets in the near term, officials from both countries have said. Kiev has demanded that NATO countries hand over their warplanes, but the Western bloc has sent mixed signals thus far.

Speaking to CNN on Thursday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that combat aircraft “are not the key capability” the Ukrainian military needs at the moment.

“F-16s are not a question for the short-term fight,” he elaborated. “F-16s are a question for the long-term defense of Ukraine and that’s a conversation that [US] President Biden and [Ukrainian] President Zelensky had.”

Biden met with Zelensky in Kiev on Monday, where the Ukrainian president reportedly asked his American counterpart to transfer F-16 fighter jets to his forces. Biden had previously rejected Zelensky’s pleas for the American-made fighters, simply telling reporters “no” when asked about the possibility in January.

Zelensky and his officials have demanded combat aircraft from multiple countries, including the UK. While former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss have urged the government to donate a fleet of Eurofighter Typhoon fighters, Defense Minister Ben Wallace said on Friday that “we’re not going to send our own Typhoon jets in the short term to Ukraine.”

“Gifting a fighter jet comes with hundreds of people: engineers, pilots, training, electronic warfare,” he told Sky News on Friday. “The West is not going to be putting troops into Ukraine on those scales. The idea that we would put Typhoons in – we would have to send 200 [Royal Air Force] people and we’re not going to do that … at this current stage.”

Sunak said earlier this month that the UK will train Ukrainian fighter pilots, and Wallace said on Friday that London is prepared to supply Typhoon jets to Eastern European countries who send their own Soviet-era planes to Kiev.

Across the rest of the NATO bloc, national leaders have been more elusive on the potential supply of warplanes. The leaders of France and the Netherlands have both declared that the idea is being considered, while Italy was reportedly nearing a deal involving the transfer of five aging ground attack and fighter planes, before Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ruled the possibility out on Tuesday.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly shot down Ukraine’s requests for jets, and urged his allies last month against “entering into a constant competition to outbid each other when it comes to weapons systems.” However, Berlin initially refused to provide Ukraine with tanks, before succumbing to a pressure campaign led by Kiev and its most committed supporters in Eastern Europe.

https://www.rt.com/news/572020-no-fighter-jets-ukraine/
============================================
24 Feb, 2023 12:58

2) --- US defense official reveals timeline for tank deliveries to Ukraine

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told reporters that the M1 Abrams may not arrive by the end of this year

Doubts linger regarding whether Ukraine will receive US-made M1 Abrams tanks in 2023, US Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told the media. She noted that the Pentagon is presently entertaining several scenarios, including building the needed hardware from scratch or sourcing it from some of the current operators.

Speaking during a Defense Writers Group event on Thursday, Wormuth assured journalists that Washington is looking at “what’s the fastest way we can get the tanks to the Ukrainians.”

The army secretary acknowledged that the handover will not be completed in a matter of weeks or months, but with “longer timelines involved.”

“I think there are options that are less than two years, less than a year and a half. But again we have to look at the pros and cons of each of them,” she said, adding: “it’s still to be determined as to whether tanks could get there by the end of the year.”

She explained that the lengthy wait time is due to the fact that the US will not only have to supply the tanks themselves, but also provide the necessary recovery vehicles, ammunition, and training for Ukrainian troops.

While building the hardware “from scratch” is not off the table, the Pentagon could also opt for modernizing existing tanks from its own inventory, Wormuth said. She added that Washington is looking at other options that would involve “countries that we’ve sold tanks to previously.” These nations may be better placed to “get tanks to the Ukrainians more quickly,” she explained, noting, however, that this “might disrupt relations with important allies.”

Speaking to Sky News in late January, days after US President Joe Biden pledged to provide Ukraine with 31 Abrams tanks, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky stressed that if they arrive as late as August, it will be “too late.” He also made it clear that a handful of tanks “won’t make a difference on the battlefield.”

Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said the planned deliveries of tanks were viewed in Moscow as “direct involvement” by NATO in the conflict. He added that Western armor will not change the outcome of the fighting, and that the tanks will “burn” if they arrive on the battlefield.
https://www.rt.com/news/572012-us-army-secretary-abrams-tanks-ukraine/
===============================================

24 Feb, 2023 12:22

3) --- Biden ‘lied’ about Nord Stream blasts – Seymour Hersh

The US president has deceived the public about his country’s role in the pipeline attacks, the legendary journalist says

US President Joe Biden secretly ordered the blowing up of the Nord Stream pipelines so Germany would not back out of imposing sanctions on Moscow over Ukraine, legendary investigative journalist Seymour Hersh said on Afshin Rattansi’s show ‘Going Underground.’ Hersh published a bombshell exposé on the incident earlier this month.

In the report, Hersh claimed that the US and Norway were behind the September 2022 blasts that hit the dual pipelines, built to deliver Russian gas to Germany through the Baltic Sea. Washington denied any involvement in the blasts, calling the journalist’s claims “fiction.”

Hersh stood by his words, however. Biden was “lying” and “not telling the truth about something he authorized,” he said. The journalist compared the alleged affair to the events leading up to Washington’s entry into the wars in Vietnam and Iraq.

The US intent was to “to make sure that Europe keeps on supporting NATO and keeps funneling arms into what is clearly a proxy war against Russia that’s being fought right now,” Hersh said.

The full version of Going Underground's interview with Hersh will be aired on RT on Saturday.
https://www.rt.com/news/572015-seymour-hersh-biden-nord-stream/
=========
3a) --- UN Jeffrey Sachs & Ray McGovern give testimony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_EX-VwKjng
===========================================
23 Feb, 2023 15:38

4) --- EU’s energy war with Russia is not over – IEA

The bloc has to continue diversifying supplies, Fatih Birol says

The EU should step up efforts to prepare for the next heating season with effectively no energy supplies from Russia, the head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, warned in an interview with the Financial Times.

According to Birol, the EU has “moved mountains” and managed to largely avoid a full-blown energy crisis thanks to efforts to secure alternative supplies and mild weather, which allowed gas storages to remain amply filled. However, there is still a risk the bloc's members may be unprepared for next winter.

“Russia played the energy card and it did not win… but it would be too strong to say that Europe has won the energy battle already… being overconfident for next winter is risky and it is time to continue and step up efforts for 2023,” he stated.

Birol urged authorities to focus on energy conservation and renewables.

“Some of the achievements made on clean energy and reducing Russia’s revenues are good but it is not a permanent solution. We have had the help of mild weather. We gained some time, which is vital, but there is much more to do.”

The expert warned of two factors that pose major risks for the region’s energy security. Firstly, Russia may cut the remaining supplies, some 20% of 2021 levels, which currently flow to the EU via a transit pipeline in Ukraine and through Türkiye.

Secondly, China’s post-Covid-19 reopening may sharpen competition for liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, on which Europe has come to rely in the past year. Both situations would make it increasingly difficult to refill storages for the next heating season, which could lead to shortages, especially if next winter proves colder than the current one.

The EU once relied on Russia for nearly half of its energy supplies prior to the conflict in Ukraine, which began nearly a year ago. Gas flows have been gradually dwindling over the past year, however, both due to Western sanctions against Russia and technical obstacles, including the sabotage at Russia’s Nord Stream pipelines in September, rendering them inoperable.
https://www.rt.com/business/571980-eu-energy-war-russia-iea/
===============
21 Feb, 2023 09:40

4a) --- Germany to double down on renewable energy – minister

Berlin is aiming to reach its climate goals by 2030, according to Robert Habeck

The German government will do most of the work this year to prepare its power market for greater reliance on renewable supplies by the end of the decade, Economy Minister Robert Habeck announced on Monday.

Habeck aims to overhaul the 550-terawatt hours a year (TWh) market amid rising demand as the EU’s largest economy moves away from fossil fuels under its climate commitments.

“We will do most of the necessary work in 2023,” the minister told a consultation meeting on power market reform, noting that the goal is to generate 80% of electricity from wind and the sun by 2030.

According to the minister, the government will prepare tenders for gas-fired power capacity to back up green power as nuclear and coal production is phased out. A strategy for the tenders will be ready this quarter, Habeck said, pointing out that gas will later be replaced with lower-carbon alternatives such as hydrogen.

Germany’s plan could set it apart from some EU countries that are holding on to more stable sources of power, Habeck noted.

“Creating alternative baseload will be a specific challenge. In a way, it will be like teaching an elephant how to dance,” he explained.

After taking power in December 2021, Olaf Scholz’s coalition government presented an ambitious program foreseeing a transition away from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy.

However, those plans were effectively put on hold after gas prices skyrocketed due in part to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow. Issues with gas pipeline maintenance and then the sabotage of the Nord Stream network further exacerbated tight Russian supplies.

In a bid to ensure energy security, the authorities in Berlin ordered in September that idled brown coal mines could be resurrected. The phasing out of coal-fired power plants was also postponed until March 2024.
https://www.rt.com/business/571784-germany-renewable-energy-goal/
============

4 Feb, 2023 10:07

Recall 4b) --- Germany considers diverting ‘green’ subsidies to arms production – Bloomberg

The move would allow more weapons and ammunition to be manufactured for the Ukraine conflict

Germany may use funds intended for the phasing out of coal-fired power plants to help defense companies build additional production facilities, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

According to the report, the measure is being discussed between the government in Berlin and regional authorities in Germany’s individual states. The move would allow manufacturers to make more weapons and ammunition, as well as create jobs in the areas worst affected by the shift from coal.

It comes as Western countries are ramping up military aid to Kiev. Germany pledged last month to deliver Leopard 2 main battle tanks and Marder armored vehicles to Ukraine.

Berlin also allowed companies this week to transfer the older Leopard 1 tanks.

However, according to multiple reports, the efforts to assist Kiev and ensure that the Bundeswehr remains combat-ready have been impeded by munitions and equipment shortages. Business Insider cited defense industry and parliamentary sources in October as saying that the army had enough ammunition for only one or two days of warfare.

The continuing energy crisis prompted Germany to relaunch several reserve coal-fired plants last year. The government has also extended the operation of existing plants up to the end of March 2024. The decisions came as Berlin was looking for ways to conserve energy during winter.

In June, the German Economy Ministry said that, despite concerns over energy supplies stemming from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Germany would stay committed to phasing out coal as a power source by 2030.
https://www.rt.com/news/570951-germany-green-subsidies-ammunition/
===============================================

24 Feb, 2023 02:56

5) --- US lawmaker demands Syria troop withdrawal *important*

American forces continue to occupy the country’s oil-rich northeast, where they have been accused of stealing resources

Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz has introduced a War Powers Resolution seeking to end US military action in Syria, arguing Congress had never authorized the nearly decade-long occupation.

Unveiled on Wednesday, the legislation would direct President Joe Biden to remove all US forces from Syria no later than 15 days after the bill is adopted. Gaetz, the resolution’s sponsor, cited a recent raid in Syria which left several servicemen wounded, questioning why American troops are still in the country.

“Congress has never authorized the use of military force in Syria. The United States is currently not in a war with or against Syria, so why are we conducting dangerous military operations there?” he said in a press release. “President Biden must remove all US Armed Forces from Syria. America First means actually putting the people of our country first – not the interests of the military industrial complex.”

Gaetz went on to state that the 80-year-old Biden “does not have a cognitive grasp on the Syrian conflict,” pointing to an August 2021 interview with ABC News in which the president appeared to suggest there were no US troops in Syria. Washington has kept around 900 soldiers there for several years, including at the time of the interview.

Because War Powers Resolutions are privileged legislation, Congress will be forced to vote on the new measure within 18 days of its introduction.

The US military has been active in Syria since as early as 2014, flying countless airstrikes against select militant groups and, at times, the Syrian government. Intermittent ground deployments began the same year.

Under President Barack Obama, Washington doled out hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons to an array of jihadist rebel factions seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad, though the effort later fizzled following Russian and Iranian military intervention at the request of Damascus.

While American involvement in Syria slowed after Obama left office, in 2019, then-President Donald Trump said some US troops would remain in the country “for the oil,” openly suggesting Washington would simply “keep” the energy resources. Since then, Syrian officials have accused the Pentagon of making off with large amounts of oil taken from provinces in the northeast, where US forces have long embedded with Kurdish militia groups.

A number of US troops also continue to occupy a base near Al-Tanf in southern Syria, stationed alongside militia fighters who previously aimed to oust the government in Damascus.
https://www.rt.com/news/572001-us-troop-withdrawal-syria/
===========================================

The most important debate on Syrian sanctions ever ?
https://youtu.be/-4zmzNa6UW0
============================================

24 Feb, 2023 10:16

6) --- US started both Iraq and Ukraine conflicts – former state senator to RT

Richard Black claims Washington overthrew the legitimate governments in these countries to turn them into puppets

America’s involvement in the affairs of foreign countries is to blame for at least two major conflicts in the past 20 years – the Iraq War and Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, ex-Virginia state Senator Richard Black claimed in an interview with RT. He also argued that while most Americans do not want to be involved in faraway conflicts, the US “foreign policy establishment” has its own agenda.

Speaking to RT on Thursday, Black said the US is the “source of both” the Iraq and Ukraine conflicts, explaining that Washington “overthrew Iraq with military force, coming in from across the globe,” and has “gone in and overthrown Ukraine with military force from the other side of the globe.”
-
https://rumble.com/v2aojw0-iraq-is-a-colony-of-the-us-us-senator-richard-black-to-rt.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=2
-
The former state senator claimed that the Ukraine conflict broke out when the CIA “staged a violent, bloody coup” in Kiev in 2014 and helped remove the legitimately elected president, Viktor Yanukovich, from power. He went on to say that Washington replaced him with a “revolutionary junta” and began pumping “advanced weapons” into Ukraine with the aim of building up a “very formidable” military force.

Black characterized the current Ukrainian president, Vladimir Zelensky, as nothing more than a “puppet” of Washington who “does what he is told, when he is told.”

Iraq, which the US invaded in 2003, has been reduced to the status of a “colonial state,” he claimed, adding that he believes the “occupation of Iraq will continue indefinitely,” and that America’s endgame is to wield influence over the entire Middle East from its “hardened command and control center” in Baghdad’s ‘Green Zone’.

According to the former senator, while most Americans do not support these interventions, elites in Washington, DC, as well as “oligarchs” and arms manufacturers, pursue their own interests.

Black also said the conflict in Ukraine could be resolved if the country becomes “neutral” and “demilitarized,” similar to Austria during the Cold War, adding that Russia’s security concerns will inevitably have to be addressed.
https://www.rt.com/news/572004-richard-black-ukraine-iraq-parallels/
============================================

24 Feb, 2023 06:21

7) --- Whistleblower exposes new FBI scandal

Internal reports show a disturbing pattern of misconduct going unpunished, former special agent Steve Friend claims

FBI agents caught committing a broad array of felonies have not only escaped going to prison for their crimes, but in many cases kept their jobs, according to internal reports from the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility obtained by former special agent Steve Friend and published by Just the News on Thursday.

The disciplinary reports, dating from 2017 to the present, depict an increase in alcohol abuse and sexual misconduct, reflecting the “sense of entitlement that has seeped into the agency,” Friend, who resigned after blowing the whistle on civil liberties abuses in the FBI’s investigation of the January 6 Capitol riot, told the outlet. He believes today’s agents are coasting on the reputation of their predecessors.

According to his data, for failing to declare a romantic relationship with an incarcerated felon, an agent was suspended for just 15 days. Another agent arrested for stealing his girlfriend’s possessions after an acrimonious breakup got just 14 days. Numerous prohibited relationships between supervisors and underlings are mentioned, netting as little as one day of suspension as a penalty.

Of 23 drunk-driving cases, just five resulted in the agent being fired. One agent who hit a car while driving with a blood alcohol content twice the legal limit and multiple open bottles inside his vehicle was merely suspended for 50 days. Another got away with a 60-day suspension for drunk-driving his vehicle into a police car.

Another three dozen agents lost their guns, had them stolen, or otherwise handled them irresponsibly. One who shot a hole in the floor of his hotel room was suspended for 14 days.

An agent who hit his child, leaving bruises that were reported by the child’s teacher, was merely suspended for 40 days – despite the child apparently having “been coached to minimize what had happened.”

The FBI has its limits, however. Examples of agents whose conduct merited a “summary dismissal” listed in a 2017 report include an agent who admitted to sexually abusing his daughter and granddaughter for years, another who repeatedly stole drug evidence to feed their own addiction, and another who deliberately shot and killed two dogs belonging to neighbors.

The agency stopped disseminating the reports for seven months between 2021 and 2022, out of concern that “employees harmed by misconduct” would feel shamed, but ultimately resumed publication. In a statement to Just the News, it said the reports are actually proof that its disciplinary system works.
https://www.rt.com/news/572006-fbi-misconduct-going-unpunished/
============================================

24 Feb, 2023 05:14

8) --- Google accused of destroying evidence in antitrust suit

The tech giant faces allegations that it abused its power in the web search business to create a monopoly

The US Department of Justice has accused Google of “systematically” destroying records linked to ongoing antitrust litigation, saying the company failed to preserve its internal communications despite a previous order to do so.

In a legal filing issued in a Washington, DC federal court on Thursday, DOJ officials said Google has refused to change a feature on its company chat which automatically deletes employees’ logs, adding that it “falsely” claimed to have ended the practice back in 2019.

“Google’s daily destruction of written records prejudiced the United States by depriving it of a rich source of candid discussions between Google's executives, including likely trial witnesses,” DOJ attorney Kenneth Dintzer said.

While the government said Google was required to end the auto-delete function under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the company did not “preserve potentially relevant chats,” meaning that for nearly four years since the antitrust case was launched, “Google systematically destroyed an entire category of written communications every 24 hours.”

The DOJ has asked the court to rule that the tech giant violated a civil procedure guideline, and requested a hearing to determine how to penalize Google and demand more information about its internal communications.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Google said it “strongly” rejects the allegations, with a spokesperson arguing its teams have “conscientiously worked for years to respond to inquiries and litigation.” They added that the company has “produced over 4 million documents in this case alone, and millions more to regulators around the world.”

The antitrust case against Google was opened in 2020, when the Justice Department said the company is a “monopoly under traditional antitrust principles” in the search engine industry and “must be stopped.” While the government argued the firm has used its market power to disadvantage smaller competitors, Google later slammed the suit as “deeply flawed,” insisting it would “do nothing to help consumers.”
https://www.rt.com/news/572003-google-accused-destroying-evidence/
========= RECALL
13 Feb, 2023 20:49

8a) --- Google to expand ‘disinformation’ campaign in Europe

After suppressing anti-Ukrainian content in Poland, the tech giant will now target Germany

Google is expanding its campaign against what it calls online “disinformation,” and will roll out ads in Germany aimed at “prebunking” content it disagrees with. Tested in Poland last year, the ads are the product of a Google research unit formed to combat “threats to open societies.”

The tech giant will release a series of videos identifying apparent misinformation techniques and release them on multiple platforms in Germany, including Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, the Associated Press reported on Monday. The ads will focus on photos and videos, and the ease with which both can be manipulated, the news agency noted.

The concept of fighting the techniques behind alleged disinformation rather than the information itself is called “prebunking,” and was developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge and Jigsaw, Google’s in-house “internet safety” unit. Borrowing language from the medical field, these researchers claim that short videos “inoculate” the public against “misinformation.”

It is unclear what kind of “disinformation” Google’s effort in Germany will focus on.

Jigsaw describes itself as countering “threats to open societies,” a term most commonly associated with liberal financier George Soros’ ‘Open Society Foundations’. Jigsaw is similarly liberal and internationalist in its outlook. Its first CEO, Jared Cohen, was an aide to Hillary Clinton at the US State Department, and a proponent of using technology to advance US interests abroad, including by engaging in regime change operations.

Jigsaw rolled out its ‘prebunking’ ads in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia last fall, where it focused specifically on making viewers more accepting of Ukrainian refugees. Google found that the Polish campaign worked, and that those who saw the videos were less likely to spread “false claims” to others, the Associated Press wrote.

“There’s a real appetite for solutions,” said Beth Goldberg, head of research and development at Jigsaw. “Using ads as a vehicle to counter a disinformation technique is pretty novel. And we’re excited about the results.”

In the US, a recent report by The Intercept found that the Department of Homeland Security partners with multiple tech firms – including Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Discord, Wikipedia, Microsoft and LinkedIn – to target “inaccurate information” on topics including “the origins of the [Covid]-19 pandemic and the efficacy of [Covid]-19 vaccines, racial justice, US withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the nature of US support to Ukraine.”

Files released by Twitter CEO Elon Musk last month revealed that under previous management, the platform censored “legitimate information” on behalf of the White House and numerous US intelligence agencies.
https://www.rt.com/news/571433-google-disinformation-prebunking-germany/
================ RECALL
25 Aug, 2022 20:32

8b) --- Google to ‘inoculate’ Eastern Europeans against disinformation

The campaign aims to make users resistant to negative information about Ukrainian refugees

The US Department of Justice has accused Google of “systematically” destroying records linked to ongoing antitrust litigation, saying the company failed to preserve its internal communications despite a previous order to do so.

In a legal filing issued in a Washington, DC federal court on Thursday, DOJ officials said Google has refused to change a feature on its company chat which automatically deletes employees’ logs, adding that it “falsely” claimed to have ended the practice back in 2019.

“Google’s daily destruction of written records prejudiced the United States by depriving it of a rich source of candid discussions between Google's executives, including likely trial witnesses,” DOJ attorney Kenneth Dintzer said.

While the government said Google was required to end the auto-delete function under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the company did not “preserve potentially relevant chats,” meaning that for nearly four years since the antitrust case was launched, “Google systematically destroyed an entire category of written communications every 24 hours.”

The DOJ has asked the court to rule that the tech giant violated a civil procedure guideline, and requested a hearing to determine how to penalize Google and demand more information about its internal communications.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Google said it “strongly” rejects the allegations, with a spokesperson arguing its teams have “conscientiously worked for years to respond to inquiries and litigation.” They added that the company has “produced over 4 million documents in this case alone, and millions more to regulators around the world.”

The antitrust case against Google was opened in 2020, when the Justice Department said the company is a “monopoly under traditional antitrust principles” in the search engine industry and “must be stopped.” While the government argued the firm has used its market power to disadvantage smaller competitors, Google later slammed the suit as “deeply flawed,” insisting it would “do nothing to help consumers.”
https://www.rt.com/news/572003-google-accused-destroying-evidence/
============================================

24 Feb, 2023 12:06

9) --- IMF advises against making crypto legal tender

The fund suggests outright bans are not the best option to limit crypto risks, but should not be ruled out

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) believes that crypto assets should not be granted official currency or legal tender status, according to a statement from its executive board released on Thursday.

The statement summarized discussions on the fund’s nine-point action plan for how countries should treat crypto assets, dubbed ‘Elements of Effective Policies for Crypto Assets,’ held earlier this month. The paper provided “guidance to IMF member countries on key elements of an appropriate policy response to crypto assets.”

According to the statement, the fund’s major recommendation is to “safeguard monetary sovereignty and stability by strengthening monetary policy frameworks and not granting crypto assets official currency or legal tender status.” The board noted that the widespread adoption of crypto assets “could undermine the effectiveness of monetary policy, circumvent capital flow management measures, and exacerbate fiscal risks.” The IMF therefore urges countries to focus on adopting tax rules and laws regulating crypto assets, noting that failing to do so is now “untenable” given the recent implosions of several crypto exchanges.

“Directors agreed that strict bans are not the first-best option, but that targeted restrictions could apply [to limit crypto risks]. A few Directors, however, thought that outright bans should not be ruled out… The growing adoption of crypto assets in some countries, the extra-territorial nature of crypto assets and its providers, as well as the increasing interlinkages with the financial system, motivate the need for a comprehensive, consistent, and coordinated response,” the statement read.

Last year, nearly $1.4 trillion was wiped off the crypto market amid bankruptcies in the sector. The crisis was led by the collapse of FTX, the world’s second-largest crypto exchange at the time of its insolvency.

Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, has been gradually regaining last year’s losses in recent weeks, but remains far below its all-time high of just over $69,000. Smaller crypto tokens traditionally follow Bitcoin’s lead in their market movements.
https://www.rt.com/business/572009-imf-against-crypto-legal-tender/
====================

Show less