Tag: US

NordStream II: Zelensky threatens with U.S. sanctions

Blog, Politics

Brussels 02.09.2021 The United States will impose sanctions against Nord Stream II in case other countries create energy problems for Ukraine, President Vladimir Zelensky said on Wednesday, September 2, after his visit to Washington.

“So far, we are at a stage when President Biden personally guarantees that if Russia or other parties to Nord Stream II after its commissioning … create energy problems to Ukraine, the United States guarantees it will impose sanctions against Nord Stream II,” he told at a briefing, which was aired by the Ukraina-24 TV channel.

Zelensky said it is a “big victory,” but the issue still needs further discussion.Ukraine’s position on Nord Stream II enjoys serious support in the U.S. Congress, he added.

Nord Stream II is an international project for the construction of a gas pipeline that will run across the seafloor of the Baltic Sea from the Russian coast to Germany bypassing transit states, such as Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and other Eastern European and Baltic countries.

The new 1,230-kilometer pipeline, basically following the same route as Nord Stream I, traverses the economic zones and territorial water of five countries, namely Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany.

Works under the project were suspended in December 2019 after Allseas, a Swiss company laying the pipes for the Nord Stream II pipeline, suspended pipe-laying works over possible US sanctions and recalled its vessels. The construction works were resumed only a year later in December 2020 after an intense legal struggle.

On July 21, 2021, the United States and Germany published an agreement on the Nord Stream II project, where Washington recognised that sanctions would not stop the project implementation and Berlin undertook the efforts to ensure the extension of Russian gas exports via Ukraine. The United States however reserved the right to take measures in case Russia, as it put it, uses energy as a geopolitical weapon in Europe and in case of its “aggression” against Ukraine.

The Russian side has repeatedly stressed that Nord Stream II is purely a commercial project and is being implemented jointly with European partners under the WTO rules. Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov expressed resentment over attempts of a number of countries to link the future of the project to political context and various circumstances unrelated to trade. Moscow has also repeatedly underlined that it has never used energy resources as an instrument of a political pressure, even providing Georgia with gas during the war.

President Biden recent promises to support Ukraine in its struggle out of economic difficulties, the endemic corruption is not the least factor,and reminds of his own son Hunter adventures in Ukraine entering the board of Burisma energy company without any relevant experience. It is also reminded about the impeachment documents failed by Representative Marjory Taylor Greene last year, clearly stating Joe Biden should be investigated over the conflict of interests caused by his son involvement in corruption scandal in Ukraine.

Ukraine: triumph of tele-guided democracy

Blog, Europe, Politics, Uncategorized

Anna van Densky, OPINION Election of Vladimir Zelensky demonstrates huge disappointment of the Ukrainians with their political class, even more, than their hopes for a meaningful change of the malfunctioning system. Ukrainian politics, run by a group of oligarchs has been a vaudeville for sufficiently long time to make a comedian look appropriate in the President’s office.

The decadence hit a new low, indicating there is a complete loss of confidence in the establishment, unable to produce any leader with a relevant background convincing enough to be worthy of dropping a ballot. Zelensky wins not because his programme opens new perspectives, but because the Ukrainians wish to trash their political Pantheon, plagued by corruption, and indulging in demagogy.

However change from Poroshenko to Zelensky perceived by many as a revolution, is nothing more than a change of head on Emperor‘s sculpture in times of declining Rome: they succeeded too often, leaving insufficient time to carve the entire figure in marble, and the clever local governors  in provinces adapted by removing the detached heads.

In particular case of showman Zelensky elections, one can conclude the Ukraine is true to itself: predictable in is instability, grotesque, and volatile.

Ascending to presidency due to his popularity as an actor, Zelensky has no political force behind him, – a convenient disposition for clans at power, who are content with a President starring in TV sequel, while they continue business as usual, enriching themselves in reality.

Considered by experts as the ninth most corrupt nation in the world, with almost $50 billion gross external debt, and public debt around 70% of  GDP, Ukrainian kleptocracy is comfortable with a comedian as a head of state – weaker is the president easier is to continue their own way.  Ukraine ‘Semper idem‘ – always the same…

Nevertheless the change is coming,  but not due to the new President of Ukraine, but the context: both the US, and the EU have to revise their foreign policy vis-à-vis Kiev, although for different reasons. While Europe is growing increasingly Euro skeptic, demanding from Brussels to put the EU citizens interests first, before pursuing the Enlargement, and poring  billions on integration of neighboring states. The US has to resolve the problem of contribution to NATO of the European allies: among 29 members, just five meet 2% GDP defence spending target: Greece, Estonia, the UK, Latvia, and the US. 

Without any perspective to enter the EU or NATO, immense debts, endemic corruption, ongoing conflict in Donbass, protracted argument with Russia over gas transit, huge migration rising up to one million a year leaving the country – plagued with multiple setbacks, Ukraine slides into further decline, searching for refuge in a world of illusory – voting a man, who incarnated their dream of an honest president in a TV sequel.  Zelensky victory – is a triumph of tele-guided democracy, fusion of reality and fiction, dreams and frustrations, a political jest, an idle tale. A human comedy…

Video below: Vladimir Zelensky dancing in a show:

 

 

 

 

Pence visits EU

EU, Europe, International, World

mike-pence-flags

Anna van Densky, OPINION   Taking into consideration the anti-Trump rethoric of president Donald Tusk naming the new US administration an ‘existential threat’ to the  EU one can not expect much from vice-president Mike Pence visit to Brussels.

The myopia of the EU leaders, from the moment of taking sides in the US elections, fiercely defending #Hillary, thus the US Democrats, and later going to ‘crescendo’ about the ‘threat’ President Trump represents for the EU, closed the window of opportunity for the current EU institutions officials to develop fruitful relations with the new US administration, subsequently the leading democracy and economy in the world.
The visit of Mr.Pence will be short, and the absence of press conference, replaced by brief appearances presenting statements clearly indicates there is no much common ground and hope after what the leaders of the EU institutions have done to offend the newly elected President of the United States of America, disrespectful to the democratic choice of American people. One can not co-operate with a ‘existential threat’, can he?..
Hopefully the US administration knows that there many citizens in the EU, who do no approve the anti-Trump position of the EU institutions unelected leaders, considering the President Trump ‘threat’ narrative fictitious, and they will go to ballot boxes soon. In view of the upcoming elections in The Netherlands, France, Germany and Italy, there is very little sense for the new US administration to build on sand with the current EU, rapidly losing grounds with public opinion in Europe, mainly as a result of mass-migration policies imposed on the citizens without their consent.
In case of accession to power French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen promised to organize the EU membership referendum within six month, meaning from next year the political landscape in the EU will go through fundamental change,  very favorable for the relations between the US administration and ensemble of the European nations.
Hopefully in the future Mr.Pence will have an opportunity to meet many European politicians respectful and sympathetic to the new US administration, making his contacts with Europeans as much optimistic and friendly as meeting US compatriots living in Europe 🙂

 

 

 

Iran nuclear deal in calamity

Uncategorized

Federica Mogherini

The Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), composed by the E3/EU+3 and Iran, will convene on 10 January in Vienna. The meeting will review the implementation of the agreement and discuss the issues raised in the letter Foreign Minister Zarif addressed on 16 December to the High Representative, Federica Mogherini, as coordinator of the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission will be preceded by a meeting of the sanctions working group, – according to the European External Action Service (EEAS) announcement.

Many experts relate the interest in the upcoming assessment of the Iranian nuclear deal with the recent statements of the upcoming US administration, indicating it will attempt to abandon the  multilateral agreement and reinforce the US nuclear capabilities.

Communicating via Twitter, the president-elect Donald Trump declared his intention to “expand” US nuclear arsenal.

A number of previously classified documents were published on the site of the International Atomic energy agency (IAEA) as a gesture of increasing transparency necessary to convince general public in validity of the agreement. The move came after a wave of criticism of the agreement by the USA Republican congressmen.

The agreement allows Iran to  possess only low-enriched uranium, limited to an amount inferior to 300 kilograms at any moment in time.

 

 

 

#Trump opponents dash to clairvoyants

Uncategorized

trump-big-smile

The failure to promote #Hillary for the White House has been taken hard
by some of mass media outlets, turning in despair to supranatural powers in an attempt to stop #Trump to enter the office.
After the  chorus of university professors has admitted the idea of impeaching #Trump as president elect before inauguration as purely theoretical exercise the media sharks dashed to clairvoyants.
Apparently, there were not so many eager to mix into American political life, so the newspapers have turned to the legacy of the deceased Bulgarian clairvoyant reportedly predicting failure of the 45th US president to enter the office. The move indicating the frustrations of loser’s camp of the Democrats has reached its apogee.
The curse of the mystic is supposed to work as a ‘dirty bomb’ contaminating the enviroment and building up tensions in coming period before the inauguration, indicating along with the other signs that the transition of power will be everything but smooth.
However the blind Bulgarian psychic warning about ‘demise’ of the 45th president of the US (Donald Trump?) reveals media intentions to bless turmoil.
The mystic legacy picked up a la carte, has little value if any: where were her predictions on failures of both Bulgarians Irina Bokova an joining her in competition for the United Nations Secretary job Kristalina Georgieva? Or the US elections were closer to the mystics heart than the elections of the chief of the UN?
Further, the greatest of the European oracles of all the times has been used by #Trump opponents to reinforce the message: #Nostradamus Quatrain 81 warning about ‘the great shameless, audacious bawler’ and the other verse on change of laws in Byzantium have been blended by the conspirology theorists in a ‘piece of evedence’. Both pieces assembled produced fabricated ‘prediction’ for #Trump. What a nonsense! It can be good enough only for those who still believe in flat Earth resting of three whales:)
But even then and those already new, that the stars incline us, they do not bind us.
Astra inclinant, sed obligant!

#Trump’s triumph reflects on #EU

Uncategorized

trump-v

#Trump’s triumph has a direct and powerful impact on Europe’s political life – the upcoming elections 2017 in the #EU key countries, namely Dutch in March and French in May. Both unsystemic candidates Geert Wilders (PvV) and Marine Le Pen (FN) have sensed that their victory as ‘anti-establishment’ politicians can be materialized within months.
Marine Le Pen early congratulations to #Trump, noticed among first from the European political class, beyond doubt are sincere, as unsystemic candidate scorned and ridiculed by the French main stream media, she recognized the fresh wind of change over political landscape.
Clearly #Trump’s victory sets an example for European electorates to encourage them to express their free will, refusing the imposed by establishment figures.
The #EU austerity policy, toppled by failed immigration policy is too much to bear for exhausted Europeans, once upon a time looking up to the #EU as ‘peace and prosperity’ project. A million of migrants from Middle East and Africa, terrorist threat from jihadis, conflicts in Eastern and Mediterranean neighbourhoods create a dramatic setting, naturally forcing the citizens to reflect about change of political elites, who are directly responsible for the poor state of affairs.
This is certainly not a cheerful news for the #EU bureaucrats, who took their luxurious existence with mega salaries and generous pensions for granted, losing feeling of reality in their cosy Brussels bubble.
The idea of endless imposition of the #EU agenda on the citizens, without their consent, and follow up games of ‘second’ referendums as it happened to Ireland, or The Netherlands, whose Prime Minister Mark Rutte seems to ignore the results of the plebiscite, choosing for Brussels political schedule. This modus operandi might come to the end in the cause of 2017 in similar way as it happened in the USA, where the electorate kept the cards close to heart.
Now it is the turn of Europeans to take the destiny in their own hands.
Est modus in rebus…

Charles Tannock, MEP interview on Libya from EP, Brussels

Uncategorized
Published on Oct 13, 2016 in ‘Brussels Diplomatic’

Interview with Carles Tannock ( ECR – UK ) on problems of Libya five years after Gaddafi’s assassination: playground for an international terrorism and jihad
MEP Charles Tannock – a member of Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament