Inför Ryssarnas invasion (2022)

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

En europeisk kärnvapenmakt post Nato?! Hur skulle det överhuvud taget gå till? Det finns bara en självständig kärnvapenmakt i Europa - Frankrike. Den brittiska militärpropagandan hävdar givetvis att de är absolut självständiga med sina Trident-beväpnade ubåtar:

Trump triggers Germany’s nuclear nightmare

Though the menace of Russia can be difficult to gauge in a country that has lived securely under American protection for 75 years, it would be reckless to ignore it, as neither a Russian victory over Ukraine nor a Trump victory in November U.S. elections can be ruled out. If Russia succeeded in Ukraine, moreover, it would have a clear path toward the rest of Europe.

[...]

Some German politicians have clung to the default position of recent decades: Find someone else to protect us.

Both Katharina Barley, the lead candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) for the upcoming EU election, and Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the fiscally conservative Free Democrats (FDP) have suggested trying to Europeanize the French nuclear force in some way. Lindner, for example, proposed a strategic dialogue with both France and the U.K. to explore “collective security.”

Samtidigt kan Trumps retorik - och förhoppningsvis inte hans handlingar - påbörja en ny kärnvapenkapprustning i Europa. Det handlar inte bara om Polen!

Vilken oansvarig kärnvapenretorik! Nej, det handlar inte alls om Polen utan om Tyskland, där kärnvapenhetsaren Maximilian Terhalle (“We’re running out of time,“ Terhalle said) intar en särdeles roll.

Moreover, even if all sides could agree to combine the French and U.K. arsenals into a single nuclear force, Europe would still only have about 550 warheads. Military strategists say that’s not enough to deter Russian aggression across the Continent, given that Moscow has about 6,000 nuclear warheads at its disposal.

Europe would need at least an additional 1,000 strategic nuclear weapons to deter Russia convincingly, Terhalle said.
(Maximilian Terhalle, a German security and military expert who has spent years pushing his country to reconsider its stance on nukes)

1000 strategiska kärnvapen?! Vilket groteskt struntprat! Kärnvapenteknologi är f.ö. inte någon man snyter ur näsan, bara att bygga upp den reaktorteknologi som krävs för att framställa nödvändigt plutonium tar lång tid. De första amerikanska kärnvapnen vägde många ton, att miniatyrisera dessa tog lång tid, liksom att skapa lättvikts fission-fusionsvapen (vätebomber), en teknologi som kärnvapenmakterna håller hårt i. Återstår då, som Terhalle tror, att köpa kärnvapen från USA. Men varför skulle Trump vara mer villig att sälja sådana än någon annan president?


En isärtagen amerikansk B61-bomb, där själva kärnsprängladdningen utgörs av den silverfärgade cylindern strax t.v. om mitten i bilden

Självklart släpper inte Frankrike sin kontroll över sin kärnvapenstyrka Force de frappe, den politiken har legat fast sedan general de Gaulles dagar. Frankrike har f.ö. aldrig avsett att nå upp till en numerär motsvarande den sovjetiska/ryska, utan att utöva en avskräckning genom att kunna skapa en tillräcklig förstörelse. Frankrike har testat laddningar i megatonstorlek, men de operativa franska kärnvapnen har knappast en sprängstyrka överstigande 300 kiloton.

Sedan tillkommer förstås frågan, i förekommande fall, om vapenbärare. Dagens amerikanska nuclear sharing bygger på den flygplansburna B61-12, en styrbar bomb av ungefär samma konstruktion so JDAM, dvs. i huvudsak frifallande men med styrning mot avsett mål. Beroende på flyghöjd kan ett sådant vapen sättas in mot ett mål i bästa fall beläget kanske 30 km från den punkt där vapnet fälls. Ett ganska svårhanterligt vapen, således, i synnerhet som endast F-35 (av de flygplantyper de europeiska Nato-länderna har tillgång till) kan använda den styrbara funktionen.

Landbaserade missilvapen är uteslutna, det finns idag ingen teknologi för mobila sådana i väst och fasta silos, som i USA och Ryssland fungerar heller inte i tättbefolkade Europa - följaktigen har ex.vis Frankrike avskaffat alla sina landbaserade kärnvapen. Återstår kryssningsmissiler, där en vidareutvecklad KEPD-350 Taurus möjligen kan utrustas med en kärnstridsladdning, med tanke på att missilens konventionella stridsladdning väger 480 kg.

Fler kärnvapen och fler kärnvapenmakter gör inte världen säkrare utan mer osäker!

Med det uppmanar jag återigen Enceladus-kollektivet att stänga kannstöperierna kring kärnvapen.

[Enceladus]

Ja, det finns olika åsikter och möjlighet att göra olika analyser - de kan vara värda att läsa under alla förhållanden, även om det är jobbigt och svårbegripligt för Enceladus-kollektivet. Detta utan att man behöver ägna sig åt kvalificerat struntprat om Samhällsnytt, Greta Thunberg eller franska bönder, och misstänkliggöranden av av typen "selektivt urval".

Poland to classify Ukraine border crossings as critical infrastructure in response to farmers’ blockade

Poland will classify border crossings with Ukraine and some nearby roads and railways as critical infrastructure, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced. The move is aimed to reduce problems caused by mass blockades by farmers in protest against Ukrainian agricultural imports and EU climate policy.

[...]

Tusk added, however, that Poland “cannot allow at the Polish-Ukrainian border – taking advantage of the farmers’ protests – those who openly and shamelessly support Putin, serve Russian propaganda and discredit the Polish state”.

Those remarks follow comments yesterday by Poland’s foreign ministry suggesting that some elements within the farmers’ protest may be influenced by “Russian agents” after pro-Putin and anti-Ukrainian banners were displayed.

Europa som helhet behöver göra något åt dessa absurda protester. Behandla utländska agenter åtminstone som klimataktivister!

Putin loses grip on member of his military alliance

Days before that, Pashinyan told POLITICO that Moscow's mission had failed and "as a result of the events in Ukraine, the capabilities of Russia have changed," making it less willing or able to defend its partners. Armenia, he added, is now working with the EU and the U.S. to carry out a slew of democratic reforms and bolster its democracy.

The prime minister's latest comments come as French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu visits Armenia on Friday to announce a package of new arms deals expected to include radar equipment and night vision goggles.

But despite also hosting an EU border mission, Armenia has thousands of Russian troops stationed in the country and its borders are controlled by Moscow's security forces. While Pashinyan has previously hinted that those arrangements with Russia could be ended, he warned "that is an entirely different legal-contractual framework" to Armenia's membership of the CSTO.

Armenien befinner sig i en svår sits när Ryssland prioriterar kriget i Ukraina. Antalet bekräftade ryska förluster utgör 14 516 enheter, varav 2 754 stridsvagnar.

Hungarian foreign minister visiting Iran for trade negotiations "forgot" that Tehran supplies Russia with weapons

Szijjártó, who was taking part in a Hungarian-Iranian business forum in Tehran, said the two countries are interested in developing economic cooperation in areas that are not affected by sanctions, such as pharmaceuticals, healthcare, the food industry, and water management.

[...]

Szijjártó made only a passing mention of the 7 October 2023 terrorist attack on Israel by Iran-backed Hamas militants and the attacks on civilian vessels by Yemeni Houthis, who are also sponsored by the Iranian regime.

He made no mention at all of the fact that Tehran is providing military assistance to Russia to wage its war in Ukraine, which contradicts Hungary's position that no one should provide weapons to either side in the "conflict".

Ungern fortsätter att förstöra sitt anseende i demokratiska länder. Samtidigt köper Ungern ytterligare fyra Gripenplan av Sverige. Brics-länderna gillar Gripen!

EU imposes sanctions on Russia-linked entities accused of destabilising Moldova

On Thursday, the EU banned the funding of Moldova’s pro-Russia paramilitary organisation Scutul Poporului (The people’s shield) and its leader, Chiril Guzun, who is also subject to a travel ban to the bloc. Brussels said Guzun made “repeated attempts to undermine Moldova’s democratic government including through inciting riots and violent demonstrations”.

[...]

The former Soviet republic, sandwiched between Ukraine to the east and EU and Nato member Romania to the west, has also been pressured by Moscow over its energy security and has seen Russian-fired missiles pass through its airspace. Moldova last year labelled Russia a formal “security threat” for the first time in its history.

[...]

Concerns over the breakaway region, which is host to a large ammunition depot and about 1,600 Russian troops, have ticked up this week. Some Moldovan opposition officials said they planned to make a formal request next week for Moscow to annex Transnistria, which broke away from Chisinau in the 1990s.

Moldavien kokar. EU:s trettonde sanktionspaket slår även mot företag, bland annat kinesiska och turkiska, som understödjer Rysslands krigsinsatser i Ukraina.

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

EU imposes sanctions on Russia-linked entities accused of destabilising Moldova

On Thursday, the EU banned the funding of Moldova’s pro-Russia paramilitary organisation Scutul Poporului (The people’s shield) and its leader, Chiril Guzun, who is also subject to a travel ban to the bloc. Brussels said Guzun made “repeated attempts to undermine Moldova’s democratic government including through inciting riots and violent demonstrations”.

[...]

The former Soviet republic, sandwiched between Ukraine to the east and EU and Nato member Romania to the west, has also been pressured by Moscow over its energy security and has seen Russian-fired missiles pass through its airspace. Moldova last year labelled Russia a formal “security threat” for the first time in its history.

[...]

Concerns over the breakaway region, which is host to a large ammunition depot and about 1,600 Russian troops, have ticked up this week. Some Moldovan opposition officials said they planned to make a formal request next week for Moscow to annex Transnistria, which broke away from Chisinau in the 1990s.

Moldavien kokar. EU:s trettonde sanktionspaket slår även mot företag, bland annat kinesiska och turkiska, som understödjer Rysslands krigsinsatser i Ukraina.

"Kokar" är väl att ta i. För ungefär ett år sedan försökte Putin destabilisera Moldavien, men den moldaviska statsledningen hanterade det ganska bra: viewtopic.php?p=411897#p411897
Men Putins hantlangare måste förstås tas omhand på något sätt.

Då får man försöka spela ut det transnistriska kortet, vilket har gjorts tidigare: viewtopic.php?p=409039#p409039
Ännu tidigare i krigsförloppet troddes Ryssland vilja försöka dra in Transnistrien i direkta militära operationer, men resterna av den 14:e sovjetiska gardesarmén (1400-1600 man) därstädes vill inte slåss. Då får det bli hybridkrig istället.

WARNING: Transnistria May Organize a Referendum on annexation to Russia to support hybrid operation against Moldova (ISW)

Här är lite rysk-transnistrisk propaganda: https://novostipmr.com/ru/news/24-02-21 ... privesti-k
Man får maskinöversätta själv om intresse finns

Min uppfattning om Moldaviens framtid ligger i övrigt fast:

Min uppfattning är att Moldavien i längden knappast kan överleva som självständigt land, man kommer att behöva återförenas med Rumänien. Annars blir man en lekboll mellan större krafter, som det är påväg att bli nu.

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Samtidigt köper Ungern ytterligare fyra Gripenplan av Sverige.

[Men så var det dags för lite kryperier:
Ulf Kristersson reser till Ungern på fredag

Ändamålet får helga medlem, som vanligt.

Sverige och Ungern är nu tydligen goda vänner, som ska slåss och dö för varandra (det är ju innebörden av en militärallians).

- Sverige har alltid varit en nära vän till Ungern.
Sverige har alltid varit en nära vän till Ungern. Särskilt åren kring 1956 då många ungrare kom till Sverige som flyktingar, säger Ungerns premiärminister Viktor Orbán vid presskonferensen. - Även när Ungern förhandlade om EU-medlemskap var Sverige en nära vän.

Orbán fortsätter: -Dagens möte är en mycket viktig hållpunkt i en lång process. Vi kan kalla den här långa processen att återuppbygga förtroendet.

Då går det naturligtvis inte att påpeka att Orban förvandlat Ungern till en "illiberal demokrati", hur skulle det se ut? Eller att Ungern frotterar sig med den iranska mördarregimen. "Vi respekterar varandras olikheter och når ibland bra kompromisser" som Kristersson uttrycker det. Här gäller det att hålla käft och se glad ut (samtidigt som Åkesson jobbar i bakgrunden - eller som SvD skriver: "Uttalandet låter som hämtad ur Moderaternas valrörelse - om Sd"). Allt har sitt pris, och ändamålet helgar som sagt medlen. Och Budapest lär ju vara en trevlig stad att besöka. Det blir säkert fler tillfällen, inom ramen för detta samarbete.

I en radiointervjun tidigare i dag uttryckte Orbán att länderna behöver acceptera varandras olikheter. Han beskriver det som att Ungern har andra ”kristna” värderingar än Sverige. Och som att Sverige förespråkar mer krig i Ukraina, där Ungern enligt honom förespråkar fred.

Tråkigt, det där med att Sverige förespråkar krig.

Ett "försvarsavtal" har tydligen också ingåtts, och om det sträcker sig utöver Gripen är förstås oklart, liksom vad Kristersson kan tänkas ha lovat Orban. Ungern har idag 14 JAS39-C/D på avbetalning, kan man säga, och nu beställer man ytterligare fyra stycken JAS39-C (det är alltså den äldre modellen, inte den nya JAS39-E, som Brasilien köpt). Skroven finns ju redan färdiga: viewtopic.php?p=415666&hilit=skrov%2A#p415666

Till sist blev det glada miner, i alla fall


Men behöver Orban betala en endaste forint för dessa fyra nya Gripen? Eller är det Sverige står för fiolerna, som en "nödvändigt" Nato-muta? Kompisen i Ankara har ju redan fått sin (F-16 Block 70).

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Fast var nöjet helt på Sveriges sida?




Ingen puss på kinden blev det heller



Nä, tacka vet jag när man träffar sina riktiga kompisar.

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Ungern fortsätter att förstöra sitt anseende i demokratiska länder.

Cooperation Agreement with Iran Opens New Trade Opportunities

Hungary and Iran are both interested in developing economic cooperation in areas not affected by sanctions, such as the pharmaceutical, health, food, and water management industries, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Thursday in Tehran at the Hungarian-Iranian Business Forum. The politician also announced that the two countries have signed a new agreement on agriculture that will open up trade opportunities in the agricultural and food sector.

Speaking at a press conference following a meeting of the Iranian-Hungarian Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation, the minister underlined that the global tensions have resulted in extensive sanction regimes that now hamper the smooth functioning of world trade and the global economy. Accordingly, he said that the development of relations between Hungary and Iran should also take into account the international restrictions imposed on the Persian state.

The sanctions regime leaves areas open in which Hungarian companies have the world’s leading technologies (…) And this allows us to develop Hungarian-Iranian economic cooperation in the most technologically advanced Hungarian sectors,”

Ajajaj - inte kritisera! Money rules. Och Ungern och Iran är ju fredsälskande länder, har jag hört.................

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Ovanstående artikel beskriver de två aktuella procedurreglerna i större detalj. Det är svårt att kunna veta vad Mike Johnson tänker göra. Han vet nog inte själv.

Nä, och då kan det vara bra med lite ledigt: https://www.congress.gov/days-in-session

Ukraina kan vänta: USA överger Ukraina när de behöver hjälpen som mest (Aftonbladet)

[Enceladus]

Ovanstående artikel beskriver de två aktuella procedurreglerna i större detalj. Det är svårt att kunna veta vad Mike Johnson tänker göra. Han vet nog inte själv.

Nä, och då kan det vara bra med lite ledigt: https://www.congress.gov/days-in-session

Ukraina kan vänta: USA överger Ukraina när de behöver hjälpen som mest (Aftonbladet)

Ukraine war two years on – the view from Western Europe and the US

This stalemate on the battlefield is mirrored in public opinion, with a new YouGov EuroTrack + US study (conducted in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, as well as the United States) finding attitudes unchanged from a year ago.

[...]

Relatively few in any nation surveyed actively want Russia to win – Germans (14%), French people and Italians (both 11%) are the most likely to say so.

While most people in each country want Ukraine to win, the numbers differ significantly, ranging from 88% in Denmark and 85% in Sweden to 52% in Italy. In the UK that figure stands at 79% and in the US it is 72%.

Icke desto mindre är det amerikanska folket på Ukrainas sida, och stödet är starkare än i Västeuropa. Norden är emellertid i topp, men Östeuropa frågades ej.

Sea of Azov: Possible SAM interceptor kills second Russian A-50

Recent footage hitting the social media spectrum reveals a fiery aircraft assumed to be an A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control [AEW&C] plane, though the exact details are murky. Whether it was Ukrainian forces or Russian air defenses that brought it down is yet to be determined.

[...]

The Beriev A-50, colloquially known as the Mainstay, is a critical cog in Russia’s AEW&C fleet, crafted from the Ilyushin Il-76 platform. The disappearance of such an aircraft from the Russian stronghold is a significant loss.

Coincidentally, this incident might represent the second time an A-50 has fallen since the start of Russia’s offensive against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. In the first month of 2023, another A-50 found its demise in the Sea of Azov. This event coincides with an incident involving an Il-22 that suffered substantial damage from a missile but managed to stick its landing nonetheless.

Samtidigt fortsätter utnötningen av VKS. Avdijivka blev redan för mycket för militärbloggaren Andrej Morozov. 16 000 ryska soldater sägs ha dött i striderna där.

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Ovanstående artikel beskriver de två aktuella procedurreglerna i större detalj. Det är svårt att kunna veta vad Mike Johnson tänker göra. Han vet nog inte själv.

Nä, och då kan det vara bra med lite ledigt: https://www.congress.gov/days-in-session

Ukraina kan vänta: USA överger Ukraina när de behöver hjälpen som mest (Aftonbladet)

Ukraine war two years on – the view from Western Europe and the US

This stalemate on the battlefield is mirrored in public opinion, with a new YouGov EuroTrack + US study (conducted in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, as well as the United States) finding attitudes unchanged from a year ago.

[...]

Relatively few in any nation surveyed actively want Russia to win – Germans (14%), French people and Italians (both 11%) are the most likely to say so.

While most people in each country want Ukraine to win, the numbers differ significantly, ranging from 88% in Denmark and 85% in Sweden to 52% in Italy. In the UK that figure stands at 79% and in the US it is 72%.

Icke desto mindre är det amerikanska folket på Ukrainas sida, och stödet är starkare än i Västeuropa. Norden är emellertid i topp, men Östeuropa frågades ej.

Nu är det ju det, va, att det är det amerikanska folkets valda ombud i Kongressen som bestämmer. Hur opinionerna svänger kommer att visa sig i de allmänna val som äger rum under året, på båda sidorna om Atlanten. Det är ju ändå valen som har avgörande betydelse, inte opinionsundersökningarna.

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Sea of Azov: Possible SAM interceptor kills second Russian A-50

Recent footage hitting the social media spectrum reveals a fiery aircraft assumed to be an A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control [AEW&C] plane, though the exact details are murky. Whether it was Ukrainian forces or Russian air defenses that brought it down is yet to be determined.

[...]

The Beriev A-50, colloquially known as the Mainstay, is a critical cog in Russia’s AEW&C fleet, crafted from the Ilyushin Il-76 platform. The disappearance of such an aircraft from the Russian stronghold is a significant loss.

Coincidentally, this incident might represent the second time an A-50 has fallen since the start of Russia’s offensive against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. In the first month of 2023, another A-50 found its demise in the Sea of Azov. This event coincides with an incident involving an Il-22 that suffered substantial damage from a missile but managed to stick its landing nonetheless.

Samtidigt fortsätter utnötningen av VKS. Avdijivka blev redan för mycket för militärbloggaren Andrej Morozov. 16 000 ryska soldater sägs ha dött i striderna där.

Icke desto mindre förefaller ju VKS förmåga att ge close air support på slagfältet vara obruten.

Russia's air superiority allowed it to capture Avdiivka (Ukrainska Pravda, som i sin tur refererar ISW:s analys, som jag refererade här):
viewtopic.php?p=418292#p418292

Läs gärna RUSI:s analys här också: viewtopic.php?p=418409#p418409

However, it is not a given that the Kremlin will continue to send thousands of Russians (and mercenaries) to their deaths in meaningless frontal assaults. Even if these ‘meat attacks’ continue, exhausting as they are in this battle of attrition, the more professional elements of the Russian military are not committed to fighting this war with reckless abandon.

PS. Ja, det har sina risker att vara militärbloggare i Ryssland. Girkin kanske hade tur som hamnade i fängelse.

[Enceladus]

Rysk oljeexport visar en nedåtgående trend. Ryssland behöver inte bara se upp för ukrainska drönare, utan även iranska. Houthi-rebellerna är på ingens sida:

Why Ethiopia could be the first country to ban imports of internal combustion cars

We are talking, in any case, about one of the few countries in Africa that managed to resist colonial pressure, a past of independence of which they are very proud. Yet Ethiopia spent almost $6 billion on fossil fuel imports last year, and more than half of that went on vehicle fuel. In response, the country’s Ministries of Transport and Logistics have announced a drastic measure: a total ban on importing cars into Ethiopia unless they are electric.

Compared to the rest of the world, which plans to ban the sale of combustion-engine vehicles by 2040 (in Central America, India and several African countries), 2035 (in most of Europe, the United States, Japan, Singapore or New Zealand), or 2025 (Norway), Ethiopia intends to ban them right now. Alemu Sime, Ethiopia’s Minister of Transport and Logistics, says the country’s Logistics Master Plan bans the importation of non-electric cars.

The main reason for the measure is a severe shortage of foreign exchange that affects its ability to import oil and other raw materials. In addition, Ethiopia has been investing huge amounts in its energy infrastructure over the last twenty years, to the point that Ethiopia, whose energy comes 97% from renewable sources, is about to inaugurate a 6,500MW hydroelectric power plant, the largest in Africa. So this shift towards total electrification, while responding to the obvious economic pressures, also appears to be part of a broader strategy that has been in the making for more than two decades.

Houthi-rebellernas attacker kan ha fått Etiopien att förbjuda import av bilar med förbränningsmotor. Är beskyddarna Iran och Ryssland nöjda med utfallet?

Russia’s Gas Export Strategy: Adapting to the New Reality

For six decades, the bulk of Russia’s pipeline gas exports were directed to the West. Now Russian pipeline gas exports to EU countries look extremely challenged, given the European Commission’s target to stop these imports by 2027 and the uncertainty regarding when and how the war with Ukraine will end. This target year is highly achievable given EU countries’ level of pipeline gas imports in 2023 (27 bcm, an 81 percent decline from 2021). Currently, Russian gas is transported to European markets via two pathways: Ukraine and one string of the TurkStream offshore pipeline. A Ukrainian transit agreement allowing Russian gas to pass through Ukraine looks unlikely to be extended at the end of 2024,[xv] although some ad hoc supplies based on short-term bookings could not be excluded. This leaves the 15.75 bcm/y string of the TurkStream pipeline as the main artery for Russian gas to European countries. Hungary, Austria, and Serbia, among others, may choose to continue importing some Russian pipeline gas beyond 2027, but that may eventually be undermined by new EU methane regulations that will apply maximum methane intensity values by 2030.[xvi]

[...]

The biggest prospective stake in the future of Russia’s pipeline gas exports is the 50 bcm/y Power of Siberia 2 pipeline project. Despite efforts from the Russian side to speed up the deal, no substantial progress was made during the past two years and the needed offtake (buyer) agreement with China is still missing. Meanwhile, Gazprom has completed the project’s feasibility study and design phase, and it seems Russia may take the highly unusual and risky step of starting the pipeline’s construction without a Chinese contractual commitment.[xxvi] According to Russian deputy prime minister Victoria Abramchenko, construction of the Mongolian section of the pipeline (Soyuz-Vostok) may commence as early as the first half of 2024. The pipeline could come online this decade and ramp progressively to capacity—similar to Power of Siberia 1—and possibly reach 15 bcm/y by 2030 and 50 bcm/y by 2035.

[...]

A high degree of uncertainty is associated with Russia’s export strategy amid its ongoing war in Ukraine and Western sanctions. But even if Russia’s gas export volumes were to return to pre-war levels, revenues from gas and LNG exports are not likely to reach their prior levels—due to both a less favorable price landscape after 2026, when higher global volumes are expected to come onto the market, and higher transaction costs due to longer, more expensive routes. Lower margins will also result from the sanctions along with the lower profitability of the new Russian target markets, such as emerging markets. By 2030, Russian gas export revenues might fall by 55–80 percent compared to 2022, a year of record-high revenues for the Russian gas industry, at $165 billion.[lxvi]

Center on Global Energy Policy konstaterar att Ryssland har vissa möjligheter att fortsätta exportera gas i framtiden - men med en mycket blygsam förtjänst.

Drone attacked metallurgical plant in Lipetsk, causing large fire

In the Russian city of Lipetsk, a series of explosions occurred, followed by a fire on the territory of the local metallurgical plant. It is possible that the enterprise was attacked by drones, according to Russian media reports.

[...]

The Telegram channel Mash reported a strong fire on the territory of the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant (NLMK).

[...]

Judging by the footage, the fire is burning directly on the plant's premises. The enterprise produces polymer-coated steel, including for state needs.

Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) sägs vara Rysslands största stålverk och världens 23:e största. Rysslands flotta - en kund - kan ju alltid importera från Nordkorea...

[Enceladus]

Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) sägs vara Rysslands största stålverk och världens 23:e största. Rysslands flotta - en kund - kan ju alltid importera från Nordkorea...

Ukraine's Defence Intelligence and Security Service attack steel plant in Russian Lipetsk – video

One source said that the refrigeration unit and coke oven battery were affected, which are crucial components in the technological cycle.

Another source said rough estimates indicate that production may be significantly hampered for over a month as a result of the attack.

UP has also obtained a video showing the launch of one of the drones that attacked the plant.

I Kina brukar detta kallas att skäras i tusen strimlor. Enligt rykten på sociala medier använde Ukraina kamikazedrönare som tidigare har benämnts Lyutyi:

In November 2023, another drone mock-up surfaced online, featuring the words "Az Vozdam" and “Lyutyi” ("Fierce”), though neither serves as the drone's actual name. The drone also displays Ukraine's emblem stylized as a bird. Experts note similarities between the drone's appearance and the Bayraktar TB2.

10 Russians, including 5 majors, killed in downed A-50 aircraft – Ukrainska Pravda sources

A crew of 10 Russians was killed in a Russian A-50U Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft shot down on 23 February.

[...]

The source said all 10 Russians on board the aircraft had been killed. These included five majors, three captains, a sergeant major and a lieutenant.

Varken spaningsplan eller ryska officerare växer på träd. Numera tusen stupade premiärlöjtnanter! Flera källor hävdar att det nedskjutna planet var RF-50610.

[Enceladus]

Ett "försvarsavtal" har tydligen också ingåtts, och om det sträcker sig utöver Gripen är förstås oklart, liksom vad Kristersson kan tänkas ha lovat Orban. Ungern har idag 14 JAS39-C/D på avbetalning, kan man säga, och nu beställer man ytterligare fyra stycken JAS39-C (det är alltså den äldre modellen, inte den nya JAS39-E, som Brasilien köpt). Skroven finns ju redan färdiga:

Saab waits out political drama over sending Gripen fighters to Ukraine

Six months after Ukrainian pilots tested the Swedish Gripen fighter jets, the aircraft’s vendor says government and industry movements are continuing to provide them to Kyiv in what could be a relatively quick transfer.

Stockholm has been touting the possibility of sending the Gripen JAS39 to Ukraine for several months now, but has made any decision on this contingent upon the country’s accession to NATO.

[...]

“We expect that if such a decision was granted approval by the Swedish government, it would be a fairly rapid process to send the aircraft to Ukraine. We are moving in the right direction currently,” he added.

Det är ju Ukraina som ska få dessa plan. Ungern kan förstås vänta. Vidare sägs Filippinerna vara ute efter den nya versionen av Gripen. Thailand inspirerade!

Hamas's massacre only happened because of Russia's war on Ukraine - Italian PM

Meloni, asked whether she feared tensions across the globe were leading to World War Three, answered: "What I think is that if Russia had not invaded Ukraine, in all likelihood Hamas would not have launched such an attack against Israel.

According to the Italian prime minister, "It was inevitable that such a serious violation of the international system based on law, moreover at the hands of a permanent member of the UN Security Council, would have cascading consequences on other areas and quadrants of the world....[like] the Middle East.

"If international legality is not re-established in Ukraine, the outbreaks of conflict will continue to multiply," Meloni continued.

Meloni fortsätter att stödja Ukraina. Dessutom är Italien och Kanada de senaste i raden av länder att skriva på tioåriga bilaterala säkerhetsavtal med Ukraina.

Dutch election winner Wilders willing to consider more Ukraine aid

Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders signalled he was willing to consider future military aid to Ukraine, as he moved away on Saturday from his earlier resistance to weapon deliveries.

[...]

"The PVV supports Ukraine and is willing to talk about any type of aid," he said, as he called Russia's war against Ukraine "illegal and barbaric".

Wilders' potential coalition partners had never backed his aim to stop deliveries. On Friday they reiterated that position, and in a joint statement several opposition parties said they wanted to continue economic, political and military support for Ukraine "for as long as it takes".

Även du, Wilders?

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Ett "försvarsavtal" har tydligen också ingåtts, och om det sträcker sig utöver Gripen är förstås oklart, liksom vad Kristersson kan tänkas ha lovat Orban. Ungern har idag 14 JAS39-C/D på avbetalning, kan man säga, och nu beställer man ytterligare fyra stycken JAS39-C (det är alltså den äldre modellen, inte den nya JAS39-E, som Brasilien köpt). Skroven finns ju redan färdiga:

Saab waits out political drama over sending Gripen fighters to Ukraine

Six months after Ukrainian pilots tested the Swedish Gripen fighter jets, the aircraft’s vendor says government and industry movements are continuing to provide them to Kyiv in what could be a relatively quick transfer.

Stockholm has been touting the possibility of sending the Gripen JAS39 to Ukraine for several months now, but has made any decision on this contingent upon the country’s accession to NATO.

[...]

“We expect that if such a decision was granted approval by the Swedish government, it would be a fairly rapid process to send the aircraft to Ukraine. We are moving in the right direction currently,” he added.

Det är ju Ukraina som ska få dessa plan. Ungern kan förstås vänta. Vidare sägs Filippinerna vara ute efter den nya versionen av Gripen. Thailand inspirerade!

Vilka plan då? Hela 4 st.? Den där artikeln i Defense News var lika grovt spekulativ som substanslös. Som jag har sagt tidigare har Ukrainas flygvapen fullt upp med att absorbera F-16. Man kan ju dessutom titta på vad Gady och Kofman skriver om "air power" i den av mig tidigare refererade IISS-artikeln

There is a tendency to treat air power as talismanic. But unstated assumptions about air power or long-range strike are often baked into expectations for what they might achieve. While Ukraine is steadily acquiring F-16 fighter aircraft and training to use them, this transition is a multiyear process. The fighters will eventually help Ukraine employ more Western strike capabilities and contest Russian air power, but having Western aircraft does not secure the ability to attain and maintain air superiority in an air-denied environment.
[.... ]
While it makes sense for Ukraine to pursue localised air superiority and contest Russian air power, expectations about how quickly such efforts might produce meaningful results should be low. A long-term strategy should incorporate these efforts, but should not assume that they will be decisive or serve as centrepieces of the approach.

Att Filippinerna behöver modernisera sitt flygvapen, sedan de blivit av med den Kina-vänliga skurken Rodrigo Dutarte, är väl känt och de har redan USA:s tillstånd att köpa in 10 F-16C Block 70/72, men har svårigheter att finansiera köpet. Då måste SAAB beta på ordentligt för Gripen. Med svenska skattepengar? Hur finansieras egentligen Orbaniens "leasing"-avtal för Gripen? Olika former av statsstöd, av industripolitiska eller militärpolitiska skäl är iofs. inget ovanligt:

Patrick Cronin, chair for Asia-Pacific security at the conservative think tank Hudson Institute, argued that it is past time to shift a U.S. security assistance fund, known as Foreign Military Financing (FMF), toward the Indo-Pacific as China has become the most serious long-term competitor.

"U.S. foreign military assistance needs to match U.S. strategic priorities," Cronin said. "[Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.] has moved fast to solidify ties with the United States, and the Biden administration needs to respond just as quickly to seize a great opportunity for rejuvenating a vital alliance. The Asia-Pacific has long been short-changed on the FMF."

The FMF, a military assistance account managed by the State Department, provides grants or loan assistance to foreign governments for the purchase of U.S. defense equipment and military training.

While the U.S. recently added Taiwan to the FMF recipient list, the majority of the fund is devoted to the Middle East next year. President Joe Biden's administration intended to allocate nearly 90% of the FMF fund to the Middle East, including Israel, in its presidential budget request for fiscal 2024.

Men Biden prioriterar Israel! Och Ukraina får inget.


Men: Det här är ingen allmänt försvarspolitisk blogg, var vänlig låt bli att dra in Sveriges och SAAB:s vapenaffärer med andra länder i tråden!

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Hamas's massacre only happened because of Russia's war on Ukraine - Italian PM

Meloni, asked whether she feared tensions across the globe were leading to World War Three, answered: "What I think is that if Russia had not invaded Ukraine, in all likelihood Hamas would not have launched such an attack against Israel.

According to the Italian prime minister, "It was inevitable that such a serious violation of the international system based on law, moreover at the hands of a permanent member of the UN Security Council, would have cascading consequences on other areas and quadrants of the world....[like] the Middle East.

"If international legality is not re-established in Ukraine, the outbreaks of conflict will continue to multiply," Meloni continued.

Meloni fortsätter att stödja Ukraina. Dessutom är Italien och Kanada de senaste i raden av länder att skriva på tioåriga bilaterala säkerhetsavtal med Ukraina.

Dutch election winner Wilders willing to consider more Ukraine aid

Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders signalled he was willing to consider future military aid to Ukraine, as he moved away on Saturday from his earlier resistance to weapon deliveries.

[...]

"The PVV supports Ukraine and is willing to talk about any type of aid," he said, as he called Russia's war against Ukraine "illegal and barbaric".

Wilders' potential coalition partners had never backed his aim to stop deliveries. On Friday they reiterated that position, and in a joint statement several opposition parties said they wanted to continue economic, political and military support for Ukraine "for as long as it takes".

Även du, Wilders?

Meloni och Wilders är utpräglade opportunister, och säger vad de bedömer passar dem i den givna situationen. Prat kostar inte så mycket. Båda väntar (liksom Orban) dessutom på Trumps återkomst. Som SvD:s Rolf Gustavsson säger:

Ett vilset vacklande europeiskt ledarskap är en önskedröm för Putin, och en mardröm för Europa. Valet till EU-parlamentet avgör en dramatisk kraftmätning om framtiden för ”orbaniseringen”.

Här ser han lika nöjd ut (med sig själv)


som kompisen "over there"


Folkets ödmjuke tjänare.


Säkerhetsavtal ser nog bra ut, men det är det handfasta stödet det kommer an på.

Trudeau's office said Canada would provide more than 3 billion Canadian dollars ($2.22 billion) in financial and defence aid to Ukraine in 2024.
Meloni gave no financial details about the Italian accord.

Säkrast så. Som jag har skrivit tidigare hör Italien inte till någon av Ukrainas större bidragsgivare.


Melonis påståenden är dessutom felaktiga, Israel-Palestina-konflikten är mycket mer komplex än så. Men hon säger förstås vad den israeliska högern vill höra.
Sedan måste jag återigen uppmana Enceladus-kollektivet att ge i att dra in denna konflikt i tråden!. Det här är ingen allmän världspolitisk blogg!

[Enceladus]

Melonis påståenden är dessutom felaktiga, Israel-Palestina-konflikten är mycket mer komplex än så. Men hon säger förstås vad den israeliska högern vill höra.
Sedan måste jag återigen uppmana Enceladus-kollektivet att ge i att dra in denna konflikt i tråden!. Det här är ingen allmän världspolitisk blogg!

Taiwan’s leadership ‘extremely worried’ US could abandon Ukraine

“Taiwan is extremely interested in Ukraine, and extremely worried that we might walk away from Ukraine,” Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chair of the House Select Committee on China, told reporters on Friday at the end of a three-day CODEL to the self-governing island.

The issue of U.S. support for Ukraine came up repeatedly in meetings that Gallagher and CODEL members including committee ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) had with senior officials including Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and President-elect Lai Ching-te. “They are watching the supplemental requests for Ukraine like hawks and they view Ukraine prevailing against the criminal invasion by Russia as incredibly important in sending a message to the Chinese Communist Party,” Krishnamoorthi said.

The potential for a Trump victory in the U.S. presidential election and the possibility that it might result in a change in traditional U.S. support for Taiwan is also worrying its leaders. The CODEL tried to ease those fears by assuring their Taiwanese hosts of the strong bipartisan congressional support for the island. “The people in Taiwan should be confident that regardless of how fractious our election gets, America will stand firmly with Taiwan,” Gallagher said.

[...]

The CODEL also heard reports while in Taiwan that the Starshield network, a military version of the Starlink satellite internet system developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is denying service to Taiwan.

Konflikterna i Ukraina, Israel-Palestina och Taiwan är relaterade till varandra. Dessutom är Elon Musk involverad i samtliga konflikter - på ett eller annat sätt.

OPEC-Watchers Predict Extension of Oil Cuts Into Next Quarter

Subdued fuel prices could offer relief to major consuming nations like the US and central banks wary of stubborn inflation, but such levels are a little too low for many OPEC+ members. Riyadh needs a price above $90 a barrel as it spends billions on an economic transformation that spans futuristic cities and sports tournaments, according to Fitch Ratings. Its alliance partner, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, also seeks revenues to continue waging war on Ukraine.

Global oil markets are in surplus, and the overhang would expand considerably if the 22-nation OPEC+ bloc were to restore production, the International Energy Agency in Paris said in a report last week. While global oil demand is forecast to reach a new record of 103 million barrels a day this year, the pace of growth is decelerating sharply, according to the IEA. Consumption will be easily matched by a flood of supplies from the US, Brazil, Canada and Guyana, it forecasts.

[...]

While Kuwait and Algeria promptly delivered their agreed reductions, Iraq and Kazakhstan — which have a patchy track record on compliance — remained several hundred thousand barrels a day above their quotas. The two countries have promised to improve their performance.

Oljekartellen Opec+ fortsätter att tappa marknadsandelar - med undantag för länder som inte följer riktlinjerna. Samtidigt får Ukraina 170 000 granater från EU.

[dr Cassandra Nojdh]

Melonis påståenden är dessutom felaktiga, Israel-Palestina-konflikten är mycket mer komplex än så. Men hon säger förstås vad den israeliska högern vill höra.
Sedan måste jag återigen uppmana Enceladus-kollektivet att ge i att dra in denna konflikt i tråden!. Det här är ingen allmän världspolitisk blogg!

Taiwan’s leadership ‘extremely worried’ US could abandon Ukraine

“Taiwan is extremely interested in Ukraine, and extremely worried that we might walk away from Ukraine,” Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chair of the House Select Committee on China, told reporters on Friday at the end of a three-day CODEL to the self-governing island.

The issue of U.S. support for Ukraine came up repeatedly in meetings that Gallagher and CODEL members including committee ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) had with senior officials including Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and President-elect Lai Ching-te. “They are watching the supplemental requests for Ukraine like hawks and they view Ukraine prevailing against the criminal invasion by Russia as incredibly important in sending a message to the Chinese Communist Party,” Krishnamoorthi said.

The potential for a Trump victory in the U.S. presidential election and the possibility that it might result in a change in traditional U.S. support for Taiwan is also worrying its leaders. The CODEL tried to ease those fears by assuring their Taiwanese hosts of the strong bipartisan congressional support for the island. “The people in Taiwan should be confident that regardless of how fractious our election gets, America will stand firmly with Taiwan,” Gallagher said.

[...]

The CODEL also heard reports while in Taiwan that the Starshield network, a military version of the Starlink satellite internet system developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is denying service to Taiwan.

Konflikterna i Ukraina, Israel-Palestina och Taiwan är relaterade till varandra. Dessutom är Elon Musk involverad i samtliga konflikter - på ett eller annat sätt.

Det kan man naturligtvis tycka om man vill (jag är vänlig nog att inte dissekera detta påstående närmare, bl.a. av nedanstående skäl).
Men det är ingen ursäkt för att dra in dem i denna tråd.

Alltså återigen: Det här är ingen allmän världspolitisk blogg! Ska det vara så svårt att förstå? Eller handlar det om att Enceladus-kollektivet försöker flytta fokus från sådant som inte passar de egna uppfattningarna?

[Enceladus]

Relativt lite av den nuvarande handelsrutten går genom turkiskt territorialvatten, jämfört med om handelsfartygen skulle sätta rak kurs från Odessa mot Bosporen. Det finns f.ö. bara en "lasting solution" och det vet Erdogan.

Nu är det ryska fartyg som behöver gå genom turkiskt territorialvatten. Vidare tänker Ukraina inrätta en helt ny försvarsgren - Unmanned Systems Forces:

According to the President's Office, the division will aim to "increase the capabilities of Ukraine's Armed Forces and to use unmanned and robotic air, sea, and ground systems."

"This year should be decisive in many aspects – and, obviously, on the battlefield," Zelensky said. "Drones – unmanned systems – have proven their effectiveness in battles on land, in the sky, and at sea."

"Ukraine has really changed the security situation in the Black Sea thanks to drones. Repelling assaults on the ground is largely the work of drones. The large-scale destruction of the (Russian) occupiers and their equipment is (also due to) drones."

Vem vinner drönarkriget?

Ukrainian minister says operators will eventually be able to control UAVs on battlefield while in Vinnytsia or Lviv

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, has stated that drone operators will be able to control UAVs on the battlefield from outside the combat zone in the future.

[...]

Asked to specify, Fedorov noted that Ukrainian soldiers would be able to operate UAVs at the front while being far away from the combat zone, for example, in Lviv or Vinnytsia.

Ukraina har långt gångna planer på att maximera effekten av drönare på slagfältet. Kan drönare neutralisera Putins köttvågor av tvångsrekryterade soldater?

Ukraine to ramp up production of ground systems in 2024, says minister

Speaking at the “Ukraine. Year 2024” forum on 25 February, Kamyshyn said that “last year we saw aerial drones and naval drones in large-scale action. This year will be the year when we see them on the ground.”

He also said that while developing advanced air defense systems takes more time than Ukraine can currently allow, the country has successfully created “hybrid air defense” by combining old Soviet systems with Western missiles and electronics, the minister explained. This allowed Ukrainian companies to provide timely and effective production.

[...]

Kamyshyn stated Ukraine’s top defense priority is its domestic missile program. He confirmed Ukraine now has a 700-km range weapon, developed and produced locally, which has already been used successfully. However, he refused to provide more details.

Men Ukraina nöjer sig inte med drönare i luften och till havs. Landet tillverkar även drönare på land - och dessutom långräckviddiga missiler som kan nå Kreml!

[Enceladus]

Ukrainian spies with deep ties to CIA wage shadow war against Russia

“We are seeing the birth of a set of intelligence services that are like Mossad in the 1970s,” said a former senior CIA official, referring to the Israeli spy service long accused of carrying out assassinations in other countries. Ukraine’s proficiency at such operations “has risks for Russia,” the official said, “but it carries broader risks as well.”

Ryska krigsförbrytare kan inte räkna med att få leva i säkerhet!

The Spy War: How the C.I.A. Secretly Helps Ukraine Fight Putin

“For a Russian, allowing oneself to be recruited by an American is to commit the absolute, ultimate in treachery and treason,” General Kondratiuk said. “But for a Russian to be recruited by a Ukrainian, it’s just friends talking over a beer.”

[...]

It can often take years for the C.I.A. to develop enough trust in a foreign agency to begin conducting joint operations. With the Ukrainians it had taken less than six months. The new partnership started producing so much raw intelligence about Russia that it had to be shipped to Langley for processing.

[...]

First, General Kondratiuk was annoyed when the Americans refused to provide satellite images from inside Russia. Soon after, he requested C.I.A. assistance in planning a clandestine mission to send HUR commandos into Russia to plant explosive devices at train depots used by the Russian military. If the Russian military sought to take more Ukrainian territory, Ukrainians could detonate the explosives to slow the Russian advance.

When the station chief briefed his superiors, they “lost their minds,” as one former official put it. Mr. Brennan, the C.I.A. director, called General Kondratiuk to make certain that mission was canceled and that Ukraine abided by the red lines forbidding lethal operations.

[...]

Again, some of Mr. Obama’s advisers were furious, but they were lame ducks — the presidential election pitting Donald J. Trump against Hillary Rodham Clinton was three weeks away — and the assassinations continued.

[...]

In one joint operation, a HUR team duped an officer from Russia’s military intelligence service into providing information that allowed the C.I.A. to connect Russia’s government to the so-called Fancy Bear hacking group, which had been linked to election interference efforts in a number of countries.

Amerikanska och ukrainska underrättelsetjänster har haft ett djupt samarbete i flera år. Trots USA:s överdrivna försiktighet gav investeringen en bra utdelning.

OPEC-Watchers Predict Extension of Oil Cuts Into Next Quarter

Global oil markets are in surplus, and the overhang would expand considerably if the 22-nation OPEC+ bloc were to restore production, the International Energy Agency in Paris said in a report last week. While global oil demand is forecast to reach a new record of 103 million barrels a day this year, the pace of growth is decelerating sharply, according to the IEA. Consumption will be easily matched by a flood of supplies from the US, Brazil, Canada and Guyana, it forecasts.

Oljekartellen Opec+ fortsätter att tappa marknadsandelar - med undantag för länder som inte följer riktlinjerna. Samtidigt får Ukraina 170 000 granater från EU.

Blow to Putin as Europe breaks free of Russian oil for good

According to Eurostat, in 2020 imports from Russia made up 39pc of the gas used in the European Union, 23pc of oil imports and 46pc of coal imports.

The UK relied on Russia for about 30pc of its diesel, 27pc of its coal and up to 10pc of its gas – which arrived partly on ships as liquid natural gas (LNG) and partly via trans-European pipelines.

On official figures this has now fallen to practically zero.

[...]

He said: “Non-Opec supplies do not usually grow that much but 2023 was a massive year.”

“The stars aligned and you had new projects come in from Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Norway, and so on. So that saved us in a sense.

“And then you look at the US, growth has continued very, very strongly through 2023.”

Västerländska petrostater - med USA i spetsen - har i stort sett ersatt Ryssland som EU:s energileverantör. Vill Trump verkligen äventyra denna verksamhet?

Navalny was close to being freed in prisoner swap, says ally

Speaking on YouTube, Maria Pevchikh said talks about exchanging Navalny and two unnamed U.S. nationals for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian FSB security service hit man in jail in Germany, were in their final stages at the time of his death.

[...]

Krasikov was jailed for life in Germany after being convicted of killing an exiled Chechen-Georgian dissident in Berlin's Tiergarten park in 2019. Putin signalled in an interview with U.S. journalist Tucker Carlson this month that he wanted to get Krasikov back.

[...]

Pevchikh did not name the two U.S. nationals in contention to be swapped along with Navalny. But the United States has said it is trying to return Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal and Paul Whelan, a former U.S. marine.

Skulle Tyskland verkligen gå med på att utväxla en dömd mördare mot två amerikanska medborgare, och skulle Putin låta Navalnyj bilda opposition utomlands?

[Enceladus]

Alltså återigen: Det här är ingen allmän världspolitisk blogg! Ska det vara så svårt att förstå? Eller handlar det om att Enceladus-kollektivet försöker flytta fokus från sådant som inte passar de egna uppfattningarna?

Filippinernas modernisering av sitt flygvapen påverkas i allra högsta grad av kriget i Ukraina, vilket framgår i den länkade artikeln:

“Russia is going away as an arms supplier and not coming back anytime soon,” Aboulafia points out. “Everyone is going after the low-cost MiG-29 market. I would think Gripen may be pretty well placed [for Malaysia].”

I och med att representanthusets talman förhalar USA:s stora biståndspaket till allierade länder lämnas fritt spelrum för svenska Gripen.

Ungerska parlamentet godkänner Sveriges Natoansökan

Ungerska parlamentet röstar ja till Sverige i Nato. Med 188 röster för och 6 emot.

[...]

Nu väntar en signatur från presidenten, eller talmannen László Kövér, om inte den nya presidenten hinner tillträda. Men parlamentet väntas rösta för en ny president under eftermiddagen sedan Katalin Novák avgått efter en pedofilskandal.

Enligt ungerska telex kommer Sverigekritiska talmannen László Kövér agera president under de nästa åtta dagarna tills beslutet gått igenom.

Snart kan VKS behöva se upp för radarjaktroboten Meteor!