Energy
Euronews – Zelenskyy announces Druzhba oil pipeline repaired and ‘can resume operation’
How long before Nord Stream is back on line and Russian gas is reaching Germany again? Six months? A year? Read the article HERE.
Ukraine war
EU politics
Yanis Varoufakis – The Toxic Finance Behind Europe’s Plans for Ukraine
‘EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has revived plans to draw on frozen Russian assets to make loans to Ukraine. Yanis Varoufakis writes for Jacobin that the idea is unworkable and incompatible with efforts to move toward […]
Geopolitics
Ian Proud – The ‘Coalition of the Willing’ has achieved nothing
Telling Zelensky what he wants to hear will only create more pain in the long-term when Europe’s promises to Ukraine are revealed to be empty. Ian Proud was a member of His Britannic Majesty’s Diplomatic […]
Geopolitics
Politico – Using Russian assets to fund Ukraine looks ‘increasingly difficult,’ says EU top diplomat
Is there any scheme which the European Commission has tried against Russia over the past four years which hasn’t back-fired? Every time Brussels tries to do something it only ends up exposing their own weakness. […]
Geopolitics
Tetyana Malyarenko, Stefan Wolff – New US national security strategy adds to Ukraine’s woes and exacerbates Europe’s dilemmas
There is growing awareness that both Russia and the US can win this war by sacrificing both Ukraine and Europe. Stefan Wolff is Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham. Tetyana Malyarenk is […]
Geopolitics
Ian Proud – Europe could be on the hook for $160 billion to keep Ukraine afloat
When one considers how deep the hole Europe is in over the Ukraine war, there resistance to a peace settlement is truly remarkable. Ian Proud was a member of His Britannic Majesty’s Diplomatic Service from […]
Geopolitics
Almut Rochowanski – Europe’s Leaders Have No Strategy for Peace
‘Caught off guard by new proposals to halt the war in Ukraine, European leaders have rejected the idea of Kyiv giving up territory. What’s less clear is how they imagine making their red lines into […]
Geopolitics
Almut Rochowanski – Stop making the Donbas territory a zero-sum confrontation
Disagreement over control of the Donbas doesn’t have to stop peace negotiations: compromise options are available. Almut Rochowanski is a non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute and an independent activist, working for the past 20 […]
Geopolitics
Eldar Mamedov – The Europeans pushing the NATO poison pill
Major European governments and the EU are clearly attempting to scupper any prospect of peace between Russia and Ukraine. Eldar Mamedov is a Brussels-based foreign policy expert and Non-resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute. Cross-posted […]
Corruption
Ian Proud – Zelensky remains a creature of the corruption plaguing Ukraine
Endemic corruption is not going away in Ukraine – the influx of hundreds of billions in military aid has only super-charged it. Ian Proud was a member of His Britannic Majesty’s Diplomatic Service from 1999 […]