Forum - Spårvägssällskapet.se

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑fredag 19 juli 2024 15:18 Ja, man har anledning att vara orolig både i Tokyo och Seoul: Trump touts ties with NK leader, signals interest in dialogue in acceptance speech

The Korea Herald skrev:But significant doubts persist as to whether Trump's plan to end the war in Ukraine would be in favor of Kyiv and include Ukraine's recovery of territory it lost during the two years of war with Russia, as well as to whether Trump would stick to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula before meeting Kim.

In this vein, Rep. Na Kyung-won of the ruling People Power Party, who is currently vying for the position of party chair, said her party would push ahead with proposing a National Assembly bill to arm South Korea with nuclear weapons.

"Should Trump return to the White House, the United States and North Korea might restart preparations for the next summit (between Trump and Kim), and the agenda for the talks could be North Korea's freezing of its nuclear program, instead of complete denuclearization," Na said in a forum at the National Assembly on July 5.

The Diplomat skrev:Elbridge A. Colby, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development, said it is unrealistic to expect North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to give up his nuclear weapons, meaning the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is an unrealistic goal.

It is not a comforting remark for those in Seoul who still believe that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula can happen, depending on the willingness of the U.S. to resolve the security conflicts on the peninsula.

Instead, Colby argued that U.S. policy on North Korea should be centered on arms control to limit the range of North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missiles – which are believed to be able to target the mainland of the United States. That, too, will arouse concern in Seoul, as it would leave the North in possession of thousands of nuclear capable, shorter-range missiles that could decimate South Korea.

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑fredag 19 juli 2024 15:52 Alternativen är många - eller inga alls. Det avhandlade vi f.ö. redan här:

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑lördag 22 april 2023 10:47 Det viktigaste för Ukrainas energiförsörjning vore om man kunde kasta ut ryssarna från Zaporizhzhia kärnkraftverk, Europas största.

SvD Debatt skrev:Nyligen presenterade president Zelenskyj ett paket för att främja utbyggnaden av sol- och vindkraft och energilagring. Det är ren säkerhetspolitik. Det har nämligen visat sig tydligt under kriget att decentraliserade, förnybara energisystem står sig bäst mot de ryska angreppen.

[...]

De ukrainska erfarenheterna är i linje med de slutsatser Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut, FOI, dragit. De slår fast att ett decentraliserat energisystem är mer motståndskraftigt vid kris, och att vi bör utveckla ett system som minskar beroendet av enskilda energibärare, energileverantörer och leveransvägar.

De ryska bombningarna och den pågående ockupationen av kärnkraftverket Zaporizjzja har satt skräck i hela Europa med risken för ett kärnkraftshaveri. Kärnkraftverket har varit ett uppenbart mål för Putin i kriget. Att det strider mot internationell rätt rör inte Putin i ryggen. Kärnkraftverket Zaporizjzja är nu avstängt och atomenergiorganet IAEA har föreslagit att produktionen inte återupptas så länge kriget pågår. Det har skapat ett stort hål i Ukrainas energiförsörjning.

Enceladus skrev: ↑onsdag 24 juli 2024 23:48

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑fredag 19 juli 2024 15:52 Alternativen är många - eller inga alls. Det avhandlade vi f.ö. redan här:

Europa kan inte heller införa sanktioner mot Sydkorea - vem skulle då bygga kontinentens nya reaktorer?

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑fredag 19 juli 2024 15:52 Alternativen är många - eller inga alls. Det avhandlade vi f.ö. redan här:
viewtopic.php?p=413149#p413149
viewtopic.php?p=417168#p417168
viewtopic.php?p=410938#p410938

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑lördag 20 juli 2024 21:21 Och så har Trump och president Zelenskyj pratat med varandra i telefon, för första gången på länge:

The Kyiv Independent skrev:Speaking after the Guangzhou talks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on July 24 that China promised not to supply Russia with weapons and signaled its support for Ukrainian sovereignty.

According to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, Kuleba affirmed in the meeting that Kyiv is ready to hold peace negotiations when Moscow "is ready to negotiate in good faith."

The Chinese Foreign Ministry also acknowledged that "conditions and timing are not yet ripe" for ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, but said it is "willing to play a constructive role" in peace efforts.

Reuters skrev:With the possible prospect of a Trump presidency looming, there has been a flurry of diplomacy in recent months. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing and Washington this month on what he described as a "peace mission".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed Orban's efforts, saying that only actors like the United States, China or the European Union were in a position to mediate.

Enceladus skrev: ↑torsdag 25 juli 2024 4:56

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑lördag 20 juli 2024 21:21 Och så har Trump och president Zelenskyj pratat med varandra i telefon, för första gången på länge:

China 'unshakably' committed to Ukraine's territorial integrity, Kuleba says

The Kyiv Independent skrev:Speaking after the Guangzhou talks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on July 24 that China promised not to supply Russia with weapons and signaled its support for Ukrainian sovereignty.

According to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, Kuleba affirmed in the meeting that Kyiv is ready to hold peace negotiations when Moscow "is ready to negotiate in good faith."

The Chinese Foreign Ministry also acknowledged that "conditions and timing are not yet ripe" for ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, but said it is "willing to play a constructive role" in peace efforts.

Kuleba har rest till Kina för att diskutera kriget. Kina lovar att inte skicka vapen till Ryssland - däremot till Belarus. Har Orbans "fredsuppdrag" gjort någon nytta?

Global Times skrev:Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, with Kuleba saying Ukraine is willing and prepared to conduct dialogue and negotiations with Russia.

Some experts said Kuleba's visit to China at this time clearly shows that he recognizes China's sincere efforts in mediating the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its influence as a major power. This approach aligns with Ukraine's interests. If Ukraine continues to rely solely on the US-led West as it did in the past, it is likely to be abandoned, they said.

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑onsdag 24 juli 2024 22:38 Det går alltid att leta upp någon text på internet som instämmer i ens egna åsikter. Sedan kan man, propagandistiskt och självbelåtet inleda med ett "som sagt", precis som det vore en fastslagen sanning.

DN skrev:Nu lyfts frågan i amerikanska medier om det var ett misstag. En ny undersökning gjord av Yougov visar att 29 procent av de amerikanska väljarna tycker att JD Vance är kvalificerad att bli president i USA. På frågan om han hjälper Trumps möjligheter att vinna valet svarar 31 procent av de tillfrågade ja. Flera andra opinionsundersökningar visar liknande siffror, enligt Washington Post.

[...]

På sociala medier sprids bland annat en intervju med CNN från 2021. Där kallar JD Vance Kamala Harris och andra kvinnliga demokrater för är ett gäng barnlösa ”crazy cat ladies” (ungefär: galna kvinnor som äger katter) som är missnöjda med livet de lever och därför vill göra livet outhärdligt för andra.

[...]

En annan sak som har kritiserats hårt är att han har skrivit förord till dokumentet som kallas för Project 2025 – en 900 sidor lång handbok för vad en andra Trumpadministration skulle kunna åstadkomma, berättar Karin Henriksson.

[...]

– Han verkar inte, och försöker inte ens, locka mittenväljarna, säger han.

Enceladus skrev: ↑torsdag 25 juli 2024 19:12

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑onsdag 24 juli 2024 22:38 Det går alltid att leta upp någon text på internet som instämmer i ens egna åsikter. Sedan kan man, propagandistiskt och självbelåtet inleda med ett "som sagt", precis som det vore en fastslagen sanning.

Experter: Därför var det ett misstag att välja JD Vance

DN skrev:Nu lyfts frågan i amerikanska medier om det var ett misstag. En ny undersökning gjord av Yougov visar att 29 procent av de amerikanska väljarna tycker att JD Vance är kvalificerad att bli president i USA. På frågan om han hjälper Trumps möjligheter att vinna valet svarar 31 procent av de tillfrågade ja. Flera andra opinionsundersökningar visar liknande siffror, enligt Washington Post.

[...]

På sociala medier sprids bland annat en intervju med CNN från 2021. Där kallar JD Vance Kamala Harris och andra kvinnliga demokrater för är ett gäng barnlösa ”crazy cat ladies” (ungefär: galna kvinnor som äger katter) som är missnöjda med livet de lever och därför vill göra livet outhärdligt för andra.

[...]

En annan sak som har kritiserats hårt är att han har skrivit förord till dokumentet som kallas för Project 2025 – en 900 sidor lång handbok för vad en andra Trumpadministration skulle kunna åstadkomma, berättar Karin Henriksson.

[...]

– Han verkar inte, och försöker inte ens, locka mittenväljarna, säger han.

Opinionsundersökning efter opinionsundersökning visar att Vance är omåttligt impopulär. Trump räknade med en promenadseger och valde därför en lojalist...

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑onsdag 24 juli 2024 22:45
Opinionsundersökningar är av noll och intet värde. Det är valresultatet som gäller! Så enkelt är det. Men den som har gott om tid kan ju ägna sig åt luftiga spekulationer.

Själv ser jag ingen anledning att vidare kommentera den amerikanska preidentvalskampanjen, utan Enceladus-kollektivet får ägna sig åt sin Wilderäng-propagandism bäst det kan.

Men jag kommer att slå ner på alla försök till förfalskningar via citat från mina tidigare inlägg, eller andra lögner förknippade med detta.

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑fredag 05 april 2024 19:59 När det gäller ryssarnas hybridkrigföring kan man räkna med i stort sett vad som helst. Det är en av anledningarna till att inte ha någon kontakt med den ryska statsledningen, annat än på lägsta möjliga diplomatiska nivå.

The Guardian skrev:A Russian chef who has lived in France for 14 years has been arrested on suspicion of plotting with a foreign power to stage “large scale” acts of “destabilisation” during the Olympic Games in Paris.

[...]

The man, who has not been named, was indicted on this charge on the same day and placed in pretrial detention.

An ambitious opening ceremony of Paris 2024 will be staged on the banks of the Seine on Friday evening and there has long been concern that Russia could seek to meddle in events.

The Insider skrev:Griaznov stayed at his apartment for a few days before moving on to Varna, a Bulgarian city 60 miles north of St. Vlas. From there he flew on to Paris. During one of his beach-side dinners he got drunk again and let slip to the neighbors that he had a special assignment this summer in Paris to disrupt the opening ceremony of the Olympics. At first the neighbors were incredulous. That’s when Griaznov brandished his FSB ID, witnesses told The Insider. A few days later, Griaznov made his way to Varna and took a flight from there. Before flying to Paris, Griaznov made a call to his FSB boss and informed him that the operation was on track. Griaznov even said he’d recruited “one more Moldovan from Chisinau.”

DN skrev:– Allt tyder på att det här var medvetna handlingar: att de var så tidsmässigt samordnade, att det rör sig om skåpbilar med personer som flyr från platsen, och i försöket sydost om Paris har vi också hittat brandbomber på platsen. Allt tyder på att det här är kriminella handlingar, säger Patrice Vergriete, transportminister i den franska övergångsregeringen.

Minst 250 000 resenärer påverkas av förseningar och inställda tåg på fredagen, och under helgen väntas minst 800 000 drabbas. Franska polisen förstärker nu säkerheten på tågstationer i Paris.

Det är oklart hur händelserna påverkar den stora invigningsceremoni för OS som ska hållas på fredagskvällen, men idrottsministern Amélie Oudéa-Castéra – med ansvar för OS – fördömer vad hon kallar för ”ett slags koordinerat sabotage.”

[...]

Den 21 juli greps en 40-årig rysk man i Paris misstänkt för spioneri och för att ”förbereda fientliga handlingar mot Frankrike”. Mannen är kock, har varit med i realitysåpor på rysk tv, och misstänks arbeta för underrättelsetjänsten FSB, skriver Le Monde.

Vid den franska polisens husrannsakan påträffades ”diplomatiskt material”. Mannen ska ha övervakats under en tid och vid en taxiresa i Istanbul då han var i berusat tillstånd, ska han ha ringt till en överordnad i FSB och sagt: ”Fransmännen ska få en invigningsceremoni som aldrig tidigare skådats”.

Reuters skrev:The Pentagon has found $2 billion worth of additional errors in its calculations for ammunition, missiles and other equipment sent to Ukraine, increasing the improperly valued material to a total of $8.2 billion, a U.S. government report revealed on Thursday.

[...]

In 2023, the Pentagon said staff used "replacement value" instead of "depreciated value" to tabulate the billions in materials sent to Ukraine. The $6.2 billion error created a path for billions more to be sent to Kyiv.

The Pentagon told the GAO that since then, $2 billion more in overstatements have been found. As a result, an additional $2 billion worth of arms can be sent to Ukraine to cover the amount of aid approved by the Biden administration.

[...]

In one example cited in the GAO report, 10 vehicles were valued at $7,050,000 when the supporting documentation showed they should have been valued at zero, their net book value.

Enceladus skrev: ↑tisdag 23 juli 2024 21:54 I Ryssland påstås allt gå enligt plan. Samtidigt ställer världen om till elbilar och värmepumpar (se ovanstående inlägg). Tiden är nog inte på Putins sida!

Bloomberg skrev:The Bank of Russia raised its benchmark on Friday to 18% from 16%, in line with most forecasts. In a statement accompanying the decision, policymakers said they “will consider the necessity of a further key rate increase at its upcoming meetings.”

[...]

One-time factors beyond the central bank’s control have contributed to stronger price pressures, such as unexpected frosts that destroyed crops and helped drive food inflation to an estimated 12.3% in June compared to 8.3% in May.

[...]

It projects annual inflation at 6.5%-7% at the end of this year as opposed to 4.3%-4.8% forecast earlier. The bank, which previously saw inflation returning to its target at the end of 2024, now doesn’t exclude possibly missing its goal even at the end of next year.

Gains in fuel costs increased in momentum due to seasonally high demand amid the repair of many oil refineries damaged by Ukrainian drones. A stronger ruble — usually a factor that softens inflation by making imported goods cheaper — was undermined by new US sanctions that drove up payment costs for Russian importers.

[...]

“This hike won’t help much in the fight against inflation, but the central bank can’t do nothing,” said Natalya Zubarevich, a specialist on Russia’s regions at Moscow State University. “As long as budget funds are rapidly injected into the economy, primarily into the defense sector, it will be extremely difficult to fight inflation, even by raising the rate.”

Business Insider skrev:Igor Sechin, the CEO of Russian oil giant Rosneft, pointed to China's recent interest rate cuts, saying Russia should take cues from its neighbor, TASS, a state news agency, reported on Tuesday.

[...]

"We need relatively cheap credit to come to the economy. We need structural change," said Aksakov, per Reuters. He added that price rises have slowed slightly and that annual inflation would decline in the second half of this year.

Russia's Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting, an influential think tank, even said the central bank is "forcing stagnation" onto the economy with high rates, per Reuters.

WSJ skrev:Last year, the Russian central bank more than doubled interest rates to tame prices. Inflation, though, kept rising, hitting over 9% this month, with a vast range of goods and services becoming costlier from potatoes (up 91% so far this year) to economy-class flights (up 35%). Now the central bank is set to further raise its benchmark rate on Friday.

[...]

Prices aren’t rising fast enough to cause an economic crisis or social unrest. But they are a sign of the growing imbalances under the hood of the economy. Stubborn inflation also means that prosecuting the war becomes costlier, which then leads to even larger military spending.

“In the inflation fight, Russian authorities have no good options—they can’t stop the war, they can’t solve the labor problem, they can’t stop raising wages for the population,” Alexandra Prokopenko, a former Russian central-bank official who is now a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. “As long as the war goes on, inflation will remain high.”

[...]

The central bank has held its benchmark rate at a relatively high 16% since December, but it has had little effect on prices. To tamp down out-of-control housing prices, authorities this month ended a popular mortgage subsidy that offered discounted rates as low as 8%, half the central bank rate. The program helped insulate Russians from the effects of the war but also fueled a property bubble.

[...]

“This clearly shows the limits of monetary policy in a situation of fiscal expansion and very tight labor markets,” said Vasily Astrov, an economist at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies. “The central bank has little, if any, influence on fiscal policy and no influence at all on demography” he said, referring to the country’s shrinking population and labor force.

Financial Times skrev:A person from a Russian travel booking company notes that due to sanctions, which had restricted the ability of airlines to expand and service their fleet, demand for internal flights was soaring even though airfares are rising. “For almost the first time, it has become profitable for airlines to fly around Russia,” the person says.

[...]

Income distribution is also changing, according to some business owners. “Our customers used to be a creative class and young people. Many have left,” says Albert Razilov, founder of the limited-edition footwear brand Mest, whose sales are nearly three times above prewar level. “Our main clients now are [snusk] men, middle managers of large companies, or business owners often involved in import substitution or IT. They now have money to experiment.”

[...]

Korhonen notes that while the three-year budget plan foresaw a cut in government spending in 2025 — indicating that the authorities had expected the war to be over by then — a recent push to increase taxes suggests the government may now be more pessimistic and will need to “keep the spending levels fairly elevated”.

[...]

Anton, the St Petersburg restaurateur, has seen this first-hand. “The staff shortage is colossal,” he says. “There are no cooks, no waiters, no bartenders . . . Emigration has crippled me because a lot of guys from the service sector have left.”

[...]

In time, Russia could find itself in “an Iranian scenario where money is trapped in the country, resulting in exorbitant real estate prices, inflated stock market values and low quality of life,” says the Russian oligarch.

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑onsdag 24 juli 2024 23:02 Verkligheten formar sig inte på ett visst sätt bara för att Enceladus-kollektivet upprepar samma fras om om igen.

Di skrev:En fråga som ventilerats av väst är också om man kan lita på den ryska centralbankens uppgifter.

”Putin och hans auktoritära regim vill att vi ska tro att Ryssland är opåverkat av sanktioner och andra ansträngningar som görs för att stödja Ukraina, frihet och demokrati. Därför är det extremt viktigt att politiker, medier och ekonomiska institutioner i väst inte tar informationen från Kreml för given. När man tittar närmare på signalerna blir det tydligt att det inte är så rosigt med den ryska ekonomin som Moskva vill få oss att tro”, skriver finansministrar i åtta europeiska länder i en debattartikel.

[...]

”Hur Putin beskriver den ryska ekonomin är en del av krigspropagandan”, säger Torbjörn Becker, chef för Östekonomiska Institutet (SITE) vid Handelshögskolan i Stockholm till SVT.

Enceladus skrev: ↑fredag 26 juli 2024 14:06

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑onsdag 24 juli 2024 23:02 Verkligheten formar sig inte på ett visst sätt bara för att Enceladus-kollektivet upprepar samma fras om om igen.

Ryska centralbanken höjer räntan – ”krigsekonomin på väg att försämras”

Di skrev:En fråga som ventilerats av väst är också om man kan lita på den ryska centralbankens uppgifter.

”Putin och hans auktoritära regim vill att vi ska tro att Ryssland är opåverkat av sanktioner och andra ansträngningar som görs för att stödja Ukraina, frihet och demokrati. Därför är det extremt viktigt att politiker, medier och ekonomiska institutioner i väst inte tar informationen från Kreml för given. När man tittar närmare på signalerna blir det tydligt att det inte är så rosigt med den ryska ekonomin som Moskva vill få oss att tro”, skriver finansministrar i åtta europeiska länder i en debattartikel.

[...]

”Hur Putin beskriver den ryska ekonomin är en del av krigspropagandan”, säger Torbjörn Becker, chef för Östekonomiska Institutet (SITE) vid Handelshögskolan i Stockholm till SVT.

Finansministrarna är inte ensamma om vara skeptiska till den ryska officiella statistiken. Men skribenten vet kanske bättre själv!

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑måndag 22 juli 2024 22:14 Självklart är det så. Men frestelsen att profitera på kriget i Ukraina är för stor. Mot kontant betalning, givetvis. F.ö. klarade vi ut detta redan förra året:

Reuters skrev:Eastern European Union members Slovakia and Hungary have been hit by a stop in flows from Russian group Lukoil (LKOH.MM), opens new tab via Ukraine after Kyiv imposed sanctions on the company, pressuring Hungarian and Slovak refineries that are owned by Hungary's oil and gas group MOL (MOLB.BU).

[...]

Governments in Bratislava and Budapest, which oppose sanctions against Moscow and sending military aid to Kyiv, have blasted Ukraine for the halt to Lukoil supplies and are seeking EU mediation in the dispute.

[...]

"If the situation is not resolved, there will be a fuel shortage ... a solution must be found by September," Gulyas told a news conference. "Ukraine is blackmailing the two countries that are standing for peace and ceasefire."

[...]

The EU imposed sanctions on Russian oil in 2022 although Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic gained exemptions due to their reliance on it. Czech refineries, owned by Poland's Orlen (PKN.WA), do not have Lukoil as a supplier, so have not been directly impacted by the dispute.

The Gaze skrev:The primary buyer of Russian oil in Hungary and Slovakia is the Hungarian MOL Group, which owns three refineries: in Bratislava (it processes 6.1 million tonnes per year, Slovakia), in Százhalombatta (8.1 million tonnes per year, Hungary), and in Rijeka (4.5 million tonnes per year, Croatia). Together, they can process nearly 19 million tonnes of oil per year, but they are not operating at full capacity.

[...]

At least 70% of the Russian oil that is transported through the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline is refined at the Hungarian Százhalombatta refinery. Overall, the Druzhba pipeline is currently used to supply Russian oil to Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary via the southern branch, and Kazakh oil to Poland and Germany via the northern branch. In mid-2023, as part of one of the EU's sanctions packages, a ban was imposed on the import of oil through the Druzhba pipeline to Poland and Germany. However, imports to Slovakia and Hungary are still permitted, as these countries do not have the option to import oil by sea.

[...]

The Druzhba pipeline is not the sole source of crude oil for refineries in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. For instance, the MOL Group can transport oil via a pipeline from Croatia, where it can be shipped by sea to the port of Omisalj. Here lies an interesting opportunity for Russians to circumvent sanctions. This involves transferring Russian oil at sea and concealing its origin by various means. Thus, Russian oil, including that from Lukoil, could ultimately reach the EU by evading sanctions.

[...]

This opens up interesting possibilities, likely hinted at by the Hungarian Foreign Minister when he mentioned legal mechanisms, as stated at the beginning of this article. This could involve a kind of exchange. Russian oil could be supplied via the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline under the guise of Kazakh oil, while Kazakh oil could be exported from Black Sea ports as Russian oil. Of course, this scheme adds extra discomfort to the Lukoil company, reducing its earnings but allowing it to evade Ukrainian sanctions on the company.

DN skrev:I alla tre Volgabilarna sitter samma motor från Chang’an på 188 hästkrafter. Skillnaderna tycks inskränka sig till formen på grillen och dekalen föreställande en hjort, som den ryska bilfabriken dekorerat bilarna med.

Till utställningen i våras kom den ryske premiärministern Michail Misjustin för att inspektera de nya fordonen. Han ställde frågor om bilarnas ursprung och informerades då om att inte ens ratten hade tillverkats i Ryssland.

[...]

Redan från början är det ett omaka par, där hela den ryska ekonomin ungefär motsvarar den ekonomiska styrkan i Guangdong, en enda kinesisk provins. Efter sanktionerna har Ryssland blivit alltmer beroende av Kina som handelspartner.

[...]

Men vissa bedömare förutspår att Kinas behov av rysk energi minskar när landets egen världsledande industri av elbilar och förnybar energi växer.

Planen har också varit att Kina investerar i en gasledning från Ryssland till Kina, ”Power of Siberia 2” – en anläggning som Ryssland menar står nästan klar. Men nu kräver kineserna ett permanent lågt gaspris för att fullfölja projektet.

Ju längre tiden går, desto tydligare framgår det hur beroende Ryssland är av Kina. Lika klart märks att den kinesiska sidan inte har några skrupler mot att utnyttja det ojämlika förhållandet.

Enceladus skrev: ↑fredag 26 juli 2024 20:44 Kina visar hur Ryssland ska behandlas - Putin respekterar bara rå styrka! Antalet bekräftade ryska förluster utgör 17 100 enheter, varav 3 271 stridsvagnar.

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑torsdag 11 juli 2024 22:01 China tells NATO not to create chaos in Asia and rejects label of 'enabler' of Russia's Ukraine war

ABC skrev:“NATO hyping up China’s responsibility on the Ukraine issue is unreasonable and has sinister motives,” spokesperson Lin Jian said at a daily briefing. He maintained that China has a fair and objective stance on the Ukraine issue.
[...... ]

He said NATO’s “so-called security” comes at the cost of the security of other countries. China has backed Russia's contention that NATO expansion posed a threat to Russia, whose attack on Ukraine has only strengthened the alliance, leading to Sweden and Finland becoming formal members.

China has expressed concern about NATO’s budding relationships with countries in the Indo-Pacific region. Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea sent their leaders or deputies to the NATO summit this week.

“China urges NATO to ... stop interfering in China’s internal politics and smearing China’s image and not create chaos in the Asia-Pacific after creating turmoil in Europe,” Lin said.

ISW skrev:The Kremlin continues to strengthen its ties with the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived at the ASEAN summit in Laos on July 25 and held a series of bilateral meetings with delegations from East Timor, Indonesia, Cambodia, Brunei, Laos, and the PRC.[20] Lavrov and PRC Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized the importance of Russia's and China's role in developing ASEAN and defending southeast Asia from "interference" by "extra-regional forces."[21]

Russia and China may be posturing themselves as "defenders" of ASEAN member states in order to encourage deeper cooperation and dependence. Russian Prosecutor General Igor Krasnor and PRC Prosecutor General Ying Yong also signed a cooperation agreement at a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting on July 25, which will increase Russian-PRC judicial cooperation.[22] Krasnov characterized the agreement as part of Russia and the PRC's efforts to improve the "fight against transnational crime." Russia recently signed a similar agreement with North Korea, and ISW noted that the Kremlin may be interested in further consolidating control over the Russian information space and implementing measures similar to the North Korean and PRC governments.

Enceladus skrev: ↑fredag 26 juli 2024 20:44 Det finns olika sätt att kringgå sanktionerna - till ett högre pris. Vem profiterar på kriget? Det hade varit mycket billigare att använda diplomati

Enceladus skrev: ↑fredag 26 juli 2024 20:44 Slovakia offers solution to restore Russian oil flows through Ukraine

Reuters skrev: "If the situation is not resolved, there will be a fuel shortage ... a solution must be found by September," Gulyas told a news conference. "Ukraine is blackmailing the two countries that are standing for peace and ceasefire."

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑fredag 26 juli 2024 15:59 Vad är det här för dumheter? Jag har överhuvud taget inte yttrat mig om Rysslands ekonomi.

Expressen skrev:Valentina Bondarenko är senaste namnet på listan av de 55 ryssar som mystiskt dött. Flera mystiska dödsfall har drabbat Ryssland sedan kriget i Ukraina. Enligt ryska medier föll ekonomen, Valentina Bondarenko, ut genom sitt lägenhetsfönster under måndagskvällen. Hon blev 82 år gammal, skriver Dagbladet.

Enceladus skrev: ↑lördag 27 juli 2024 11:56

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑fredag 26 juli 2024 15:59 Vad är det här för dumheter? Jag har överhuvud taget inte yttrat mig om Rysslands ekonomi.

Det gör skribenten klokt i. Den ryska ekonomen Valentina Bondarenko gjorde tvärtom, och föll ut genom ett fönster. Hon var äldre än Biden, men ändå ett hot:

Expressen skrev:Valentina Bondarenko är senaste namnet på listan av de 55 ryssar som mystiskt dött. Flera mystiska dödsfall har drabbat Ryssland sedan kriget i Ukraina. Enligt ryska medier föll ekonomen, Valentina Bondarenko, ut genom sitt lägenhetsfönster under måndagskvällen. Hon blev 82 år gammal, skriver Dagbladet.

NYT skrev:Before her arrest in Russia, Ms. Kurmasheva lived in Prague for more than two decades with her husband and two daughters. In May 2023, she traveled to Kazan to take care of her ailing mother. About two weeks later, while trying to fly back, she was temporarily detained and charged with failing to notify the Russian authorities formally of her American citizenship.

Her American and Russian passports were confiscated. In October, a court fined her over that charge, but one week later she was detained again, this time under the “foreign agents” accusation.

Ms. Kurmasheva is one of several American citizens who have been detained in Russia in recent years. The detentions of Americans have raised fears that the Kremlin is seeking to use them as bargaining chips to be exchanged for Russians held in the West.

The convictions of Kurmasheva and Gershkovich on the same day – both in rapid, closed-door trials – have raised questions about whether the Kremlin is intending to use journalists in a prisoner swap with the US. When asked about this possibility earlier Monday, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “I have no answer to this question. I leave this question unanswered.”

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑torsdag 18 maj 2023 8:02 Men som jag sade tidigare så är Biden-administrationen (som jag uttryckte det) byxrädd för eskalationsrisken. Kanske finns också en oro för att USA sänker garden för mycket mot den kinesiska kommunistdiktaturen.

The New York Times skrev:Now on July 12, Mr. Belousov was calling to relay a warning, according to two U.S. officials and another official briefed on the call: The Russians had detected a Ukrainian covert operation in the works against Russia that they believed had the Americans’ blessing. Was the Pentagon aware of the plot, Mr. Belousov asked Mr. Austin, and its potential to ratchet up tensions between Moscow and Washington?

Pentagon officials were surprised by the allegation and unaware of any such plot, the two U.S. officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the confidential phone call. But whatever Mr. Belousov revealed, all three officials said, it was taken seriously enough that the Americans contacted the Ukrainians and said, essentially, if you’re thinking about doing something like this, don’t.

[...]

A Russian Defense Ministry statement after the July 12 call confirmed that Mr. Belousov initiated it, adding that “the issue of preventing security threats and reducing the risk of possible escalation was discussed.” But the statement made no mention of a suspected Ukrainian covert mission.

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑torsdag 19 oktober 2023 8:45 Rysslands strategiska kärnvapenarsenal räcker och blir över. Det farliga med den här typen av resonemang är att de underblåser idéer om att Rysslands kärnvapenkapacitet bara är en bluff och det faktiskt skulle gå att "vinna" ett kärnvapenkrig mot Ryssland.

ChrisO_wiki skrev:1/ The aviation component of Russia's nuclear triad is said to be at serious risk of failure due to possible corruption at Russia's United Engine Corporation. This has come to light after the crash of a Tu-160M strategic bomber on which Vladimir Putin flew in February 2024.

2/ On 22 February 2024, Putin flew on Tu-160M no. 801. The Tu-160M is the world's largest, heaviest and fastest bomber, designed to carry nuclear-capable free-fall bombs or air-launched cruise missiles carried on a rotary launcher.

[...]

8/ It warns that this poses "a potential threat of disrupting the combat readiness of a significant part of the Tu-160M ​​strategic bombers." The Tu-160M fleet forms part of the aviation component of Russia's nuclear triad, along with the Tupolev Tu-22M and Tu-95 bombers.

Reuters skrev:The rebel group also said it damaged a helicopter, which crashed in the town of Kidal, hundreds of kilometres away.

[...]

Several Russian military bloggers reported on Sunday that at least 20 from the Wagner group were killed in an ambush near the Algerian border.

"Employees of the Wagner PMC (Group), who were moving in a convoy with government troops, were killed in Mali...Some were captured," said a prominent Russian military blogger Semyon Pegov, who uses the name War Gonzo.

Enceladus skrev: ↑tisdag 12 december 2023 18:22 Trots sina enorma gastillgångar satsar Iran på import snarare än export. Grattis till valet att samarbeta med Ryssland på bekostnad av Europa!

Iran International skrev:Iran itself faces a gas deficit, and if it were to consume imported Russian gas, the cost would be equivalent to the annual budget of the government, making it practically impossible.

[...]

The estimated cost of constructing a pipeline with a daily transmission capacity of 300 million cubic meters (mcm) of gas is approximately $20 billion for the maritime segment alone. Additionally, hundreds of kilometers of pipeline would need to be laid across Russia's land segment to reach the northern Caspian Sea. Given that Russia has not been willing to invest even $1 billion in a short Iranian railway line to complete its North-South corridor for the transit of goods to Asian markets over the past two decades, it is highly doubtful that Russia would be willing to spend tens of billions of dollars to build a gas pipeline to Iran.

[...]

As a result, Iran not only faced severe sanctions from Europe and the United States but also effectively lost the opportunity to continue nuclear negotiations for sanctions relief. This situation is exacerbated by Russia's imposition of preconditioned sanctions exemptions on trade with Iran and its reported takeover of Iran's oil, steel, and petrochemical markets in Asia, further diminishing Iran’s ability to negotiate for sanctions relief.

The Guardian skrev:That such a boom has occurred during Joe Biden’s presidency is not only inconvenient for Biden, who has called the climate crisis an “existential threat” and offered a now-broken promise of “no more drilling on federal lands, period”, but also Donald Trump, who has pledged to “drill, baby, drill” if he returns to the White House and has lambasted Biden, falsely, for supposedly shutting down US energy production.

It’s therefore not politically expedient for either Democrats or Republicans to fully extol how the US has become the world’s leading oil and gas dealer, even as processing plants, pipelines and shipping terminals are unfurled at a galloping pace along the Gulf coast. US gas export capacity has tripled since 2018 and will double again in the next three years, with a pause placed by Biden on new gas export licenses tossed aside by a Trump-appointed judge this month.

[...]

It’s uncertain that all of the proposed new plants will go ahead, locking in decades of further fossil fuel use, but that’s mostly because the markets are already shifting – Europe needs less gas than was previously thought and there’s evidence that even a global glut of gas won’t displace much coal in China.

The Guardian skrev:But on one metric, Norway’s leafy green image darkens to an oily black. Citizens of the rich Nordic nation dig up more petroleum per person than Russians, Iranians, North Americans and Saudi Arabians.

[...]

In the short term, the answer appears to be that it will not. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine sent European lawmakers scrambling for gas suppliers, Norway had ramped up production.

“The war changed everything,” said Frode Alfheim, the head of trade union Industri Energi. “The little uncertainty about the future of oil and gas has been prolonged for many decades. I feel sure that if you want to start working as an apprentice today, you’ll retire as an oil and gas worker.”

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑fredag 26 juli 2024 21:24

Enceladus skrev: ↑fredag 26 juli 2024 20:44 Kina visar hur Ryssland ska behandlas - Putin respekterar bara rå styrka! Antalet bekräftade ryska förluster utgör 17 100 enheter, varav 3 271 stridsvagnar.

Hur Ryssland ska behandlas? Den kinesiska kommunistdiktaturen är en möjliggörare (som det heter när det gäller gängkriminalitet) för Ukraina-kriget.

Defense Express skrev:According to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, russian military factories produceup to 50 such missiles each month. At the same time russians have 160 Kh-101 missiles in their depots, which ready for use.

Due to sanctions, the terrorist state cannot directly purchase components for the production of these missiles. However, with the help of illegal schemes, russia manages to get the equipment it needs. According to Ukraine's intelligence, 90 percent of shipments are routed through China.

It is also known that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a joint press conference with his US counterpart Joe Biden at the G7 summit said that Chinese President Xi Jinping had promised him not to supply weapons to the russian federation.

"I spoke to the head of China over the phone. He said he would not sell weapons to russia. We will see. If he is a decent person, he will not. Because he gave me his word," Zelenskyy stated.

According to Western intelligence reports, China does not directly supply arms to russia. However, most of the illegal trafficking of components needed to build drones, missiles, and military equipment goes to russian terrorists through China.

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑söndag 28 juli 2024 16:47 Tydligen har han varit i Rumänien och uppviglat den ungerska minoriteten där. Kanske hoppas han att Ungern ska få tillbaka de områden som landet förlorade i Trianon-fördraget 1920 i ett Putin-styrt Europa.

Enceladus skrev: ↑onsdag 08 maj 2024 11:46

dr Cassandra Nojdh skrev: ↑onsdag 08 maj 2024 9:21 Rumänien är ett mycket fattigt land, som har misslyckats med att skapa drägliga levnadsförhållanden för bl.a. sin romska minoritet, trots att det gått nästan 35 år sedan sedan kommunismens sammanbrott. Men nöden har ingen lag, efter Putins första överfall på Ukraina 2014 blev Rumänien en frontstat, och måste lägga mer på sitt militära försvar, mer än vad man egentligen har råd med.

Struntprat. Världsbanken klassificerar Rumänien som höginkomstland, och levnadsstandarden är numera högre än i Ungern. Året innan Ryssland invaderade Ukraina var Rysslands BNP per capita nästan 70 procent högre än i Rumänien. Nu är det ombytta roller. Det gäller att hänga med i svängarna - snabbt går det:

Espreso TV skrev:"The strike destroyed one Su-30SM, and another aircraft may have been damaged by wreckage," Defense Express reported.

As of July 23, researchers noted that the Saky airfield hosted nine Su-24 aircraft, five Su-30SM multipurpose aircraft, three Su-30SM2s (one of which was not operational), and one additional Su-30.

The Atesh guerrilla movement claims that its agents and local Crimean residents assisted the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the attack on July 26. This attack targeted the Saky airfield, where Russia's 43rd Separate Naval Assault Aviation Regiment, equipped with Su-24M and Su-30SM aircraft, has been based since 2014.