Fogbow

The Biden administration has been in regular discussions with a number of countries and companies in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia about stepping up production of liquefied natural gas to Europe in the event that a Russian invasion of Ukraine leads to gas shortages, multiple US officials familiar with the discussions told CNN.

The State Department, led by Senior Adviser for Energy Security Amos Hochstein, has in the last six to eight weeks been putting together a global strategy exploring contingency options to redirect and increase gas supplies from different parts of the world, a senior US official said.

Reuters reported last week that Hochstein had been in talks with energy companies but that increased production was not a request. The senior US official told CNN that increased production has in fact been discussed, but that companies recognize that increasing production could be risky and would take time.

The countries engaging in the talks include Norway and Qatar, the official said, but the US' outreach has been "truly global" as Washington and allies determine what supplies will be needed to get through the winter and spring if there are gas shortages.

Little Russia: Ukraine separatists proclaim new state

Date 18.07.2017

All of Ukraine, minus Crimea, has been declared a new state by Donetsk separatists in the east. Their new nation of 'Malorossiya' has a flag and a map. Germany has condemned it as "completely unacceptable."

https://www.dw.com/en/little-russia-ukr ... a-39732807

Putin’s playing chess in Ukraine and Biden steps in as pawn

Uninformed wrote: ↑Mon Feb 07, 2022 5:39 pm “Ukraine crisis: World leaders step up talks amid invasion fears”:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60292437

What a wonderfully symbolic photo at the top of the article. (Still haven’t worked out how to insert a picture )

Domestic critics of Emmanuel Macron, Nato hardliners and the leadership in Ukraine will be suspiciously examining the French president’s late-night remarks at his Moscow press conference on Monday for signs of freelancing.

At one level, Macron, three months from a re-election campaign, stuck pretty faithfully to the script he had exhaustively agreed with his Nato partners before his meeting with Vladimir Putin, but at another level his particular view of Russia as a European nation, and lofty talk of a new security guarantees, will have set alarm bells ringing.

The specifics of the five hours of discussions between the French and Russian leaders, and points of convergence, were kept from the world at the press conference, but that did not stop Macron hinting at shifts in Nato’s outlook that some members say should never be made in response to military intimidation.

The French president started by stressing the historically unacceptable presence of Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders. He also faithfully repeated the offers made by Nato and the US concerning mutual limitation of military deployments, more transparency for military activities or even a limitation of the deployment of short-range and intermediate missiles. He said in these areas Moscow and the west had the same demands. Moscow has already said it is ready to discuss these points but considers a commitment from Nato to cease all enlargement its primary demand.

Volkonski wrote: ↑Thu Feb 10, 2022 1:07 pm