What Might A Lame Duck Biden Aim For?

These are a pretty bad days for U.S. President Joe Biden.

Wednesday: Quinnipiac poll shows Biden with 33 percent approval rating

The poll found 57 percent disapproved of Biden's handling of the economy, 54 percent disapproved of his handling of foreign policy and 55 percent disapproved of his handling of the pandemic, which was once a consistent bright spot for Biden.

Thursday: Kyrsten Sinema Backs Senate Filibuster in Blow to Joe Biden Amid Voting Rights Showdown

Senator Kyrsten Sinema has delivered a major blow to President Joe Biden as she reiterated her support for the chamber's 60-vote filibuster—the biggest obstacle for Democrats in passing voting rights legislation.

Thursday: Biden all but concedes defeat on voting, election bills

All but conceding defeat, President Joe Biden said Thursday he’s now unsure the Democrats' major elections and voting rights legislation can pass Congress this year. He spoke at the Capitol after a key fellow Democrat, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, dramatically announced her refusal to go along with changing Senate rules to muscle the bill past a Republican filibuster.

Thursday: Supreme Court blocks vaccine rule for companies, allows health care worker mandate

The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Biden administration's vaccine-or-test rule for businesses with at least 100 workers, but granted a separate request from the Biden administration to allow its vaccine mandate for health care workers to take effect.

Thursday: Producer price index increased by 0.2%, up more than 6% for 2021

Friday: U.S. Retail Sales Slide Most in 10 Months on Inflation, Omicron

The value of overall purchases decreased 1.9%, after a revised 0.2% gain a month earlier, Commerce Department figures showed Friday. The figures aren’t adjusted for inflation, suggesting price-adjusted receipts were even weaker than the headline number.

Friday: U.S. Consumer Sentiment Drops More Than Expected Due To Inflation Worries

Noting inflation's regressive impact, Curtin said consumer sentiment among households with total incomes below $100,000 slumped by 9.4 percent in early January, while sentiment among households with incomes over that amount increased by 5.7 percent.

Losses on all fronts. The midterms will likely be devastating for the Democrats. Afterwards Biden will be a lame duck.

The only field where he will still be able to show political initiative, and maybe have some successes, will be in foreign policy.

What could he aim for?

This week Moon of Alabama is asking you, dear reader, to support this site. Please do so as well as you can.

The Failure Of This Week's US-NATO-Russia Meetings Make War More Likely

In the late 1990s the U.S. military-industrial-media complex lobbied the Clinton administration to extend NATO. The sole purpose was to win more customers for U.S. weapons. Russia protested. It had offered to integrate itself into a new European security architecture but on equal terms with the U.S. The U.S. rejected that. It wanted Russia to subordinate itself to U.S. whims.

Since then NATO has been extended five times and moved closer and closer to Russia's border. Leaving Russia, a large country with many resources, outside of Europe's security structure guaranteed that Russia would try to come back from the miserable 1990s and regain its former power.

In 2014 the U.S. sponsored a coup against the democratically elected government of the Ukraine, Russia's neighbor and relative, and installed its proxies. To prevent an eventual integration of the Ukraine into NATO Russia arranged for an uprising against the coup in the eastern Ukraine. As long as the Ukraine has an internal conflict it can not join NATO.

In 2018 the Trump administration withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force Treaty which had been created under the Presidents Gorbachev and Reagan to eliminate nuclear missiles in Europe. Now the U.S. made plans to station new nuclear missiles in Europe which would threaten Russia. These required a Russian response.

Meanwhile the U.S. and other NATO states have deployed significant 'training' units to the Ukraine and continue to send weapons to it. This is a sneaking integration of the Ukraine into NATO structures without the formal guarantees.

In late 2021 the U.S. started to make noise about alleged Russian military concentrations at its western border. There were groundless allegations that Russia was threatening to invade the Ukraine which was begging to enter NATO. The purpose was to justify a further extension of NATO and more NATO deployments near Russia.

Russia has had enough of such nonsense. It moved to press the U.S. for a new security architecture in Europe that would not threaten Russia. The rumors about Russian action in the Ukraine helped to press President Joe Biden into agreeing to talks.

After Russia had detailed its security demands towards the U.S. and NATO a series of talks were held.

I had warned that these would likely not be successful as the U.S. had shown no signs to move on core Russian demands. As expected the talks with the U.S. on Monday failed. The U.S. made some remarks that it would like to negotiate some side issues but not on the core of Russia's request to end the extension of NATO and to stop new missile deployments.

Wednesday's talks with NATO had similar results as had today's talks with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

As Russia had previously announced it will not consider further talks as there is nothing to expect from them:

Cont. reading: The Failure Of This Week's US-NATO-Russia Meetings Make War More Likely

Open Thread 2022-04

News & views ...

With No Progress In Talks Russia Will Have To React

Monday's negotiations over Russian security demands between the U.S. and Russia were, as predicted, a failure.

Russia's core demand, to end the NATO drive to its borders by excluding membership for the Ukraine and Georgia, was rejected. A for once realistic NYT piece did not even try to hide the disaster:

In Talks on Ukraine, U.S. and Russia Deadlock Over NATO Expansion

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei A. Ryabkov, Russia’s lead negotiator, insisted after the meeting that it was “absolutely mandatory” that Ukraine “never, never, ever” become a NATO member.

His American counterpart, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, reiterated that the United States could never make such a pledge because “we will not allow anyone to slam closed NATO’s open door policy,” and she said that the United States and its allies would not stand by if Russia sought to change international borders “by force."

Today's talk between all NATO members and Russia in Brussels had similar results. Russia's core requests were rejected and a bunch of stuff with which NATO would like to restrict Russian advantages was thrown up to divert the attention from the core issues.

As NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg summarized it:

Cont. reading: With No Progress In Talks Russia Will Have To React

The Danger Of Subjective Reading Of Covid News

This site has linked and quoted pieces by Alastair Crooke, a 'former' MI6 agent and diplomat. Crooke writes a weekly comment for the allegedly Russian financed Strategic Culture Foundation website.

(Sidenote: Independent writers for the SCF, like Russia expert Patrick Armstrong, have come under undue pressure from the U.S. government to quit. Patrick had reason to fear serious consequences and did so.)

Alastair Crooke is an expert on Middle East issues and an outside of the box thinker. But he also, at times, gets things wrong. In several recent pieces he has combined measures against the Covid-19 pandemic and big money lobbying into some global conspiracy theory in which the Bill Gates' of this world want to enslave all other people.

In his latest piece, The Double Helix of Entwined Pandemic and Economic Strategy, Crooke goes off to even greater nonsense. He writes (emphasis added):

[T]hough ‘following the science’ is the mantra, these measures make no sense: the Omicron variant predominantly infects the double vaxxed, not the unvaxxed. This is never admitted.

That, dear friends, is 'never admitted' because it is utter nonsense.

Cont. reading: The Danger Of Subjective Reading Of Covid News

The Russia-U.S. Talks In Geneva Are Likely To Fail

Like Scott Ritter I am deeply skeptical that today's talks between the U.S. and Russia in Geneva will have any results:

If ever a critical diplomatic negotiation was doomed to fail from the start, the discussions between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine and Russian security guarantees is it.

The two sides can’t even agree on an agenda.

From the Russian perspective, the situation is clear: “The Russian side came here [to Geneva] with a clear position that contains a number of elements that, to my mind, are understandable and have been so clearly formulated—including at a high level—that deviating from our approaches simply is not possible,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the press after a pre-meeting dinner on Sunday hosted by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who is leading the U.S. delegation.
...
All the U.S. has been willing to do, it seems, is to remind Russia of so-called “serious consequences” should Russia invade Ukraine, something the U.S. and NATO fear is imminent, given the scope and scale of recent Russian military exercises in the region involving tens of thousands of troops. This threat was made by Biden to Putin on several occasions, including a phone call initiated by Putin last week to help frame the upcoming talks.

The U.S. continues with its false claim that Russia is ready to invade the Ukraine:

In a move that has aggravated already tense relations between Washington and the Kremlin, Russia has mobilized more than 100,000 troops near its border with Ukraine. The United States has disclosed intelligence showing that Russia has a war plan envisioning an invasion force of 175,000 troops that Ukraine’s military, despite U.S.-provided equipment and training, would have little ability to stop.

On Friday, the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, warned that “the risk of conflict is real.”

There are no 100,000 Russian troops near its border with Ukraine. In early December U.S. intelligence claimed only 70,000 troops:

Cont. reading: The Russia-U.S. Talks In Geneva Are Likely To Fail

The MoA Week In Review - OT 2022-003

Last week's posts at Moon of Alabama:

• Jan 3 - Shall We Drop Calls Or Airplanes? - Airlines And Wireless Companies Fight Over 5G Activation
  Related:
  - AT&T, Verizon Delay 5G Rollout in the Name of Airline Safety Newsweek
  - 5G and Planes: Will It Delay Flights in the New Year? - Airways Magazine
  - Europe Has 5G. Here Is Why It Hasn’t Messed Up the Airlines. - Barrons

• Jan 5 - China's Excellent, Very Good Year
  Related:
  - World’s largest trade deal is in force, but there’s still ‘work to be done,’ says Singapore minister - CNBC
  - Any outpost interfering in Taiwan question will be the PLA’s target - Global Times
  - Taiwan buys 20,000 bottles of Lithuania rum destined for China - BBC

• Jan 6 - The U.S. Directed Rebellion in Kazakhstan May Well Strengthen Russia
• Jan 8 - Mysteries Of The Failed Rebellion In Kazakhstan
  Related:
  - ⚡🇰🇿 Almaty: This video shows demonstrators armed with guns that were delivered by an civilian car. #KazakhstanProtests
  - Kazakhstan Sitrep - Andrei Martyanov
  - CSTO in Kazakhstan annoys US - Indian Punchline
  - Brazil, Kazakhstan and the Grand Chess Board - Brazilwire
  - Kazakhstan Uprising against Rulers Bribed by Exxon, BP - Greg Palast
  - Amid Crisis, Kazakhstan’s Leader Chose His Path: Embrace Russia - NY Times
  - Roundup: Kazakhstan eyes post-riot restoration as situation stabilizes - News.cn

• Jan 7 - Remarks on Exceptionalism
  Related:
  - A Tale of Two Authoritarians - Matt Taibbi
  - 'Those Are Alleged Threats': Noam Chomsky on China, Iran and a Nuclear Middle East - Dawn Mena
  - ‘Dude, just tell the truth’: Mike Pompeo lost 90 lbs, but not the way he said he did - Kansas City

---
Other issues:

Cont. reading: The MoA Week In Review - OT 2022-003

Mysteries Of The Failed Rebellion In Kazakhstan

It is still a mystery what forces exactly are behind the rebellion in Kazakhstan. While I had presumed that it was a CIA operation it may have been outsourced to Britain's MI6. There are also still other possibilities.

The action seen over the last few days smelled strongly of a color revolution as typically instigated by the United States. The gangs which attacked police forces, set buildings on fire and stormed places where arms were stored seemed very well trained. They worked in formations and were obviously under someone's command. Some of them seemed to have been trained snipers as some shots hit policemen at longer distances. Three of the policemen killed were beheaded which points to some Jihadi elements. Some are also said to have been foreigner and the size of the total force was estimated as up to a quite high 20,000. This has led to some speculate that these people came from Turkey where President Erdogan has used Jihadis from Syria for his foreign policy purposes. But for who's benefit would he do such in Kazakhstan?

Turkey is of course a member of NATO and will in the end do NATO's bidding. Russia ultimatum to 'keep NATO off Russia's border or else ...' might be reason enough for Washington DC to create trouble at Russia's southern boarder. When the U.S. fled from Afghanistan it tried to get new bases in Central Asia but was denied them by every government in the area. A regime change in Kazakhstan might put someone at the top who would allow a U.S. outpost. But who could that person be?

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was installed in 2019 after the long term leader Nursultan Nazarbayev left under public pressure. But Nazarbayev actually stayed in control until very recently. He gained the title 'First President' and was made Chairman of the National Security Committee (KNB). The capital Astana was renamed Nur-Sultan in his honor.

The person who ran the day to day business of the security committee was Karim Masimov, a stalwart allay of Nazarbayev and a business friend of Joe & Hunter Biden. It seemed that the security forces were not really into a fight when the first gangs became violent. Forces guarding the airport of Almaty, the largest city of Kazakhstan, were allegedly told to leave shortly before a gang of some 50 rebels took over the airport.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has now taken the leading position of the National Security Committee. Nazarbayev is out. On Friday it was reported that he and his family had left Kazakhstan but his private secretary declared that Nazarbayev, who has not been seen in the public since the end of December, was still in Astana / Nur-Sultan.

Karim Masimov was likewise removed and has now been arrested and charged with treason:

Cont. reading: Mysteries Of The Failed Rebellion In Kazakhstan

Remarks on Exceptionalism

Some comments to the previous thread on Kazakhstan mentioned U.S. exceptionalism.

It started with Bemildred:

It is amusing how these "thinkers" ideas about how to undermine Russia or China tend to look a lot getting them to do what Bush-Cheney did, i.e. over-reach and over-spend and engage in little stupid wars for profit, revenge, and to stroke their little egos.

and:

"We'll give them their own Vietnam, Afghanistan, whatever the latest one was." Always fighting the last war, and always losing it again, at great cost, again.

To which Ghost Ship responded:

It's American Exceptionalism and American Projectionism working against Washington.

Washington believes in American Exceptionalism so thinks that the way it does things is the only right way to do those things, then American Projectionism kicks in and guides Washington to project the way it does thing on to others. Washington can't cope when its opponents do something a way it has not even considered and it runs around in circles all flustered while the opponent is so far within John Boyd's famous OODA loop that Washington with all its advantages loses.

BTW, what has become of John Boyd's OODA loop in Washington. At one time, you couldn't move for the paper generated by articles mentioning it. Now there is nothing. But it's still a useful tool to be used against Washington to unbalance a top-heavy regime like Washington. Has Washington given up on it because it's too slow to apply it successfully?

Meanwhile Washington seems to continue with the "My enemy's enemy is my friend" BS which has been brought back from the dead as a zombie idea.

Two days before those comments an essay which Professor Michael Brenner had sent to his mailing list had formulated a similar idea. In it he lamented the loss of a realistic view of the world in U.S. foreign policies:

Cont. reading: Remarks on Exceptionalism

The U.S. Directed Rebellion in Kazakhstan May Well Strengthen Russia

In early 2019 the Pentagon financed think tank RAND published an extensive plan for soft attacks on Russia.

Extending Russia: Competing from Advantageous Ground.

The 350 pages long report recommended certain steps to be taken by the U.S. to contain Russia. As its summary says:

Recognizing that some level of competition with Russia is inevitable, this report seeks to define areas where the United States can do so to its advantage. We examine a range of nonviolent measures that could exploit Russia’s actual vulnerabilities and anxieties as a way of stressing Russia’s military and economy and the regime’s political standing at home and abroad. The steps we examine would not have either defense or deterrence as their prime purpose, although they might contribute to both. Rather, these steps are conceived of as elements in a campaign designed to unbalance the adversary, leading Russia to compete in domains or regions where the United States has a competitive advantage, and causing Russia to overextend itself militarily or economically or causing the regime to lose domestic and/or international prestige and influence.

RAND lists economical, geopolitical, ideological and informational as well as military measures the U.S. should take to weaken Russia.

Since the report came out the first four of the six 'geopolitical measures' listed in chapter 4 of the report have been implemented.

bigger

The U.S. delivered lethal weapons to Ukraine, it increased its support for 'rebels' in Syria. It attempted a regime change in Belarus and instigated a war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The U.S. is now implementing measure 5 which aims to 'reduce Russia's influence in Central Asia'.

Cont. reading: The U.S. Directed Rebellion in Kazakhstan May Well Strengthen Russia

China's Excellent, Very Good Year

2021 was China's best year. Ever.

by Godfree Roberts^*

Amidst global gloom, 2021 was the best year in modern Chinese history. Here’s what they accomplished:

• Eliminated extreme poverty.
• Reached 96% home ownership.
• Kept Covid death rate at 0.6% of America’s.

bigger

Cont. reading: China's Excellent, Very Good Year

Slow News Day

I've got nothing ...

Shall We Drop Calls Or Airplanes? - Airlines And Wireless Companies Fight Over 5G Activation

Over the weekend several thousand flights in the U.S. were canceled:

The holiday travel nightmare worsened on New Year's Day with more than 1,700 flights already cancelled for Sunday after more than 2,700 flights were cancelled Saturday due to poor weather conditions and the impacts of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

The total number of cancelled flights since Christmas Eve now totals more than 14,000 - leaving thousands of Americans stranded over the holiday season.

Sunday's travel chaos stems from key airline hubs including Chicago and Denver, as well as certain airlines which have been left with staff shortages due to COVID.

In an effort to combat the travel disruptions, airlines say they are taking steps to reduce cancellations.

United has offered to pay pilots three times or more of their usual wages for picking up open flights through mid-January. Southwest and others have also raised premium pay for some workers.

Many more flights may get canceled after January 5. It will have nothing to do with Covid though, or with bad weather. It will rather be because of a fight between two U.S. government agencies and the client industries they serve.

Two years agon the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) auctioned off radio frequencies between 3.7 to 3.98 gigahertz for the use in 5G networks. Major telecoms paid a total of $78 billion to get access to these. They will start using them on January 5.

This is of serious concern for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Radar or radio altimeters in airplanes use frequencies between 4.2 and 4.4 gigahertz to determine the level of a plane above the ground. While they try to filter out neighboring frequencies to some degree they can be overwhelmed with false signals if these come at high power or were scatter around their frequencies through reflections.

Source: RTCA - bigger

The data from the altimeters is used in many automated alarms and systems especially in those that allow an airplane to operate in limited visual conditions during start and landing.

Cont. reading: Shall We Drop Calls Or Airplanes? - Airlines And Wireless Companies Fight Over 5G Activation

The MoA Week In Review - OT 2022-001

Last week's posts at Moon of Alabama:

• Dec 27 - When China Does Great Question Its Cost
  Related:
  - Japan-US ‘island chain’ will roil China, Russia - Indian Punchline
  - China’s Soft-Power Advantage in Africa - Beijing Isn’t Just Building Roads—It’s Making Friends - Foreign Affairs
  - exclusive | US applies to China for 18 officials to attend Winter Olympics after Joe Biden declares diplomatic boycott - SCMP

• Dec 28 - The Federal Government's Covid Failure Becomes Even More Apparent
  Related:
  - The very bad day at the CDC - Eric Topol
  - The CDC’s Defense of Its New COVID Guidelines Is Complete Nonsense - Slate
  - 3 big questions about the Biden administration’s Covid response in 2022 - STAT

• Dec 30 - Talks Between Putin And Biden Continue
  Related:
  - What the US Misunderstands About Russia - Nina L. Khrushcheva
  - Four Western provocations that led to U.S.-Russia crisis today -Responsible Statecraft
  - Deciphering the Biden-Putin Telephone Chat of December 30, 2021 - Gilbert Doctorow

• Dec 31 - A Happy New Year To All Moonkind

---
Other issues:

Cont. reading: The MoA Week In Review - OT 2022-001

A Happy New Year To All Moonkind

To all commentators here a big "Thank You!" for giving me so much.

My wish for the next year: May it be less pandemic and more peaceful than this one.

Talks Between Putin And Biden Continue

Later today U.S. President Joe Biden and Russia's President Vladimir Putin will have another video call. The Russian side had requested the call. Putin obviously wants to keep the pressure on the U.S. to agree on the two draft treaties Russia had offered.

He is helped in that by China who's Foreign Minister Wang Yi again emphasized Russian-Chinese cooperation:

On global governance, China and Russia have demonstrated our sense of responsibility. The two countries firmly upheld the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law. We jointly opposed interference in other countries’ internal affairs, unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction. Our efforts have helped build a bulwark supporting the practice of true multilateralism and upholding international equity and justice, showing the world how major countries should behave.

We are convinced that as long as China and Russia, as two major countries, stand together shoulder to shoulder and deepen coordination hand in hand, the international order will not fall into disarray, justice in the world will not collapse, and hegemonism will not win.

A preview of the video call from Russia, by Valdai International Discussion Club Research Director Fyodor Lukyanov, is positive:

Cont. reading: Talks Between Putin And Biden Continue

Open Thread 2021-102

News & views ...

The Federal Government's Covid Failure Becomes Even More Apparent

Today I was busy with medical issues. Nothing bad to report on my side. But I feel somewhat sad for the people in the U.S. who's health get screwed by its 'elite' over and over again.

Seven days ago the CEO of Delta Airlines asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to cut quarantine time for Covid breakthrough cases:

Delta Air Lines Inc's chief executive asked the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday to shrink quarantine guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals who experience breakthrough COVID-19 infections, citing the impact on the carrier's workforce.

CEO Ed Bastian, along with the company's chief health officer and a medical adviser, asked in a letter to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky seen by Reuters that the agency's recommended quarantine period for anyone who tests positive with a breakthrough COVID-19 infection be reduced to five days from the current 10.

The letter suggested that individuals could end isolation with appropriate testing.
...
"With the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, the 10-day isolation for those who are fully vaccinated may significantly impact our workforce and operations," Bastian wrote. "Similar to healthcare, police, fire, and public transportation workforces, the Omicron surge may exacerbate shortages and create significant disruptions."
...
Delta said that "as part of this policy change, we would be interested to partner with CDC and collect empirical data."

The CDC immediately set off to do what the business side of the U.S. told it to do. Yesterday it changed its guidelines for recommended isolation and the quarantine period:

Cont. reading: The Federal Government's Covid Failure Becomes Even More Apparent

When China Does Great Question Its Cost

There seem to be general meme directives for 'western' outlets with regards to official enemies.

Russia is said to weaponize everything. The position of China is not (yet) seen as in military terms. The emphasis is on economic competition. Any undeniable Chinese achievement must be declared to have been a bad investment. The directive thus reads:

"When writing about China's achievements - question their purported cost."

The results:

• Global Markets – 1st quarter 2007 : China powers ahead – but at what cost?
  - Fin Law, Feb 09, 2007
• China pumps up the Cambodian economy, but at what cost?
  - Taipei Times Apr 07 2011
• Luxury Property in China: Boom, but at what cost?
  - Spears, Oct 18 2011

Cont. reading: When China Does Great Question Its Cost

The MoA Week In Review - OT 2021-101

Last week's posts at Moon of Alabama:

• Dec 20 - New York Times Covers Up Its Debunked Lies About Peng Shuai By Adding New Ones
  Related:
  - Western media, anti-China forces use MeToo movement to incite gender antagonism: expert - Global Times
  As the Peng Shuai nonsense did not work as planned the New York Times invented a new case:
  - Fury in China After an Outspoken Teacher Disappears - NY Times
  Reality: The woman was known to have acute depressions phases and was taken to a mental hospital by a member of her family.

• Dec 21 - Iran And The Houthi Split? No, A Reporter Fell For 'Exclusive' Spin.
  Related:
  - US intel and satellite images show Saudi Arabia is now building its own ballistic missiles with help of China - CNN
  - Report: Jake Sullivan Reassures Israel US Willing to Take Harder Line on Iran - Antiwar
  - Israeli Defense Officials Cast Doubt on Threat to Attack Iran - NY Times

• Dec 22 - What Russia Says About Its 'Not-An-Ultimatum' Demands To The U.S. And NATO
  Related:
  - What happens when US rejects Putin’s ultimatum? - Asia Times
  - Russia warns of potential ‘large-scale conflict in Europe’ - RT
  - 2022 — Year of Major Power Conflict Over Ukraine - Consortium News
• Dec 23 - U.S. Navy Acknowledges Russian Weapon Superiority
  Related:
  - THE MISQUOTATION - Patrick Armstrong
  - Finland & Sweden in NATO would trigger response – Russia - RT
  - What Are Independent Media in Russia Saying About the Country’s Ultimatum to the USA and NATO? - Gilbert Doctorow / Antiwar

• Dec 24 - Merry Christmas

• Dec 25 - Experts Warn ...
  Related:
  - Russia not deliberately choking gas supplies to West – Bloomberg - RT
  - Putin hits out at plans to block Nord Stream 2 - RT
  - Exit Nord Stream 2, Enter Power of Siberia 2 - Pepe Escobar - SCF

---
Other issues ...

Cont. reading: The MoA Week In Review - OT 2021-101