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German Chemical Giant Warns of “Total Collapse” if Russian Gas Supply Cut

German Chemical Giant Warns of “Total Collapse” if Russian Gas Supply CutPosted: 31 Mar 2022 07:27 PM PDTCEO of Germany’s multinational BASF SE, the world’s largest chemical producer, has warned that curbing or cutting off energy imports from Russia would bring into doubt the continued existence of small and medium-sized energy companies, and further would likely spiral Germany into its most “catastrophic” economic crisis going back to the end of World War 2.Company CEO Martin Brudermuller issued the words in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper just ahead of German officials by midweek giving an “early warning” to industries and the population of possible natural gas shortages, as Russia appears ready to firmly hold to Putin’s recent declaration that “unfriendly countries” must settle energy payments in rubles, related to the Ukraine crisis and resultant Western sanctions.According to Bloomberg he mused that while “Germany could be independent from Russia gas in four to five years” it remains that “LNG imports cannot be increased quickly enough to replace all Russian gas flows in the short term.”But in the meantime, Brudermuller described that “It’s not enough that we all turn down the heating by 2 degrees now” given that “Russia covers 55 percent of German natural gas consumption.” He emphasized that if Russian gas disappeared overnight, “many things would collapse here” – given that we would have high levels of unemployment, and many companies would go bankrupt. This would lead to irreversible damage.” He continued:“To put it bluntly: This could bring the German economy into its worst crisis since the end of the Second World War and destroy our prosperity. For many small and medium-sized companies in particular, it could mean the end. We can’t risk that!”The dire warning of coming disaster in the event Russian gas is shut off came in response being questioned over whether it’s at all possible to abandon Russian energy.Asserting that this issue is not “black and white” – and that the German economy stands on the brink of catastrophe, the BASF CEO said that if this standoff continues to escalate it will “open the eyes of many on both sides”…Below is the question posed by the newspaper, and Brudermuller’s response:And what if, for example, Putin’s demand for payment in rubles leads to an immediate stop in gas supplies?“A delivery stop for a short time would perhaps open the eyes of many – on both sides. It would make clear the magnitude of the consequences. But if we don’t get any more Russian gas for a long time, then we really have a problem here in Germany. At BASF, we would have to scale back or completely shut down production at our largest site in Ludwigshafen if the supply fell significantly and permanently below 50 percent of our maximum natural gas requirement. Minister Habeck has already activated the early warning level of the gas emergency plan.”Separate sources estimate that at Ludwigshafen alone this scenario would immediately lead to some 40,000 employees being possibly laid off, or at least put on short-time working hours.The chemical group BASF is one of the largest energy consumers in Germany, its CEO Brudermüller considers an import boycott of Russian natural gas to be irresponsible. He explains the consequences with many bankruptcies, destruction of corporate Germany.https://t.co/sPcWiJFnyg— Alper Üçok (@AlperUcok) March 31, 2022He warned further in the interview that many Germans are currently greatly underestimating the consequences of what Russia shutting off the taps would mean… nothing less than a historic crisis:“Many have misconceptions. I notice that in many of the conversations I have. People often make no connection at all between a boycott and their own job. As if our economy and our prosperity were set in stone.”He explained that higher prices are already having a huge impact on the food supply given at this point BASF has been forced to reduce the production of ammonia for fertilizer production.Brudermuller called this “a catastrophe and we will feel it even more clearly next year than this one. Because most of the fertilizers that the farmers need this year have already been bought. In 2023 there will be a shortage, and then the poor countries in particular, for example in Africa, will no longer be able to afford to buy basic foodstuffs.” In a very alarming statement and forewarning, he added: “There is a risk of famine.”Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post German Chemical Giant Warns of “Total Collapse” if Russian Gas Supply Cut appeared first on We Are Change.
IMF Says Russia Sanctions Threaten to Reduce Dominance of U.S. DollarPosted: 31 Mar 2022 06:53 PM PDTThe US-led Western sanctions campaign against Russia threatens to chip away at the US dollar’s dominance as the world’s reserve currency, a top IMF official told The Financial Times.Gita Gopinath, the IMF’s first deputy managing director, said the sweeping sanctions against Russia will lead to more countries making transactions in other currencies.“The dollar would remain the major global currency even in that landscape but fragmentation at a smaller level is certainly quite possible,” she said. “We are already seeing that with some countries renegotiating the currency in which they get paid for trade.”Since the sanctions campaign began, Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken steps to increase trade with the ruble. He said that Russia will stop selling gas to “unfriendly” nations unless they pay in rubles. Russia has also proposed to India to make deals in ruble-rupee-denominated payments.Gopinath said that as more currencies are used in global trade, there will be a further diversification of the reserve assets held by national central banks. “Countries tend to accumulate reserves in the currencies with which they trade with the rest of the world, and in which they borrow from the rest of the world, so you might see some slow-moving trends towards other currencies playing a bigger role [in reserve assets],” she said.Sanctions recently imposed by the US and its allies specifically targeted Russia’s use of the dollar and euro, so Putin’s move to increase trade with the ruble is not a surprise. Russia has been preparing to shield itself from Western sanctions for years, and the value of the ruble is already back at pre-invasion levels.Gopinath said that the dollar’s dominance will not be challenged in the “medium term.” But the more global transactions made in other currencies can reduce the value of the dollar over time. President Biden has repeatedly warned that the sanctions will hurt the US and Europe as well as Russia.Republished from Antiwar.com with permissionThe post IMF Says Russia Sanctions Threaten to Reduce Dominance of U.S. Dollar appeared first on We Are Change.
U.S. “Doesn’t Have Real Information”: Kremlin Rejects Claim That Putin is Being Misled by His AdvisersPosted: 31 Mar 2022 02:16 PM PDTThe Kremlin responded on Thursday to the prior day’s White House and Pentagon statements claiming that Vladimir Putin is being purposely confused and “misled” as to the poor state of Russian operations inside Ukraine, due to being fed ‘misinformation’ by his top generals and advisers.Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a press briefing rejected the US assessment as not based on “real information”. He said, “It turns out that neither the State Department nor the Pentagon have real information about what is happening in the Kremlin,” The New York Times reported.“They do not understand President Putin, they do not understand the decision-making mechanism and they do not understand the efforts of our work,” he was quoted as saying.He further expressed alarm over this “complete misunderstanding” presented by the US administration.On Wednesday White House communications director Kate Bedingfield cited what was referenced as ‘declassified intelligence’ to say the following:We believe that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the Russian military is performing and how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions because his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth.”Multiple mainstream media reports led by CNN also cited admin officials who alleged the Russian advisers were “afraid” to bring Putin bad news, and said the Russian leader didn’t even have accurate information as to the extent of the impact of Western sanctions on the economy.All of it was to paint a picture of there being a serious “rift” within Putin’s administration, a narriative which some journalists were quick to question – given it seemed a mere White House attempt to embarrass Putin as part of the ongoing info war…WH Comms. Director Kate Bedingfield asked about releasing the report on Putin’s tension with advisers:Reporter: “I’m wondering if this is partially just an effort to embarrass Vladimir Putin?”Bedingfield: “Our aim is to show that this has been a strategic blunder.” pic.twitter.com/u0sCnsqYbE— The Recount (@therecount) March 30, 2022Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby had later in the day Wednesday backed the White House assessment, claiming that Putin had “not been fully informed by his Ministry of Defense at every turn”.This also comes amid reports that there’s pressure within the Russian government for Sergei Shoigu to either be fired or step down. Kremlin’s Thursday rejection of the whole narrative appears intended to address the entirety of the Western reports which flooded headlines the day prior.Do you really think Putin could be misinformed about “how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions”? Not something that’s easy to hide (and it’s in fact not happening yet — the ruble hasn’t crumbled). This is US intel misinforming the US public via media stenographers. https://t.co/emNhdy3InQ— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) March 30, 2022Given that some of these reports – including claims of an internal Kremlin “rift” – may be originating via Ukrainian sources as well as Western media reporting, they should all be treated with a high degree of skepticism.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post U.S. “Doesn’t Have Real Information”: Kremlin Rejects Claim That Putin is Being Misled by His Advisers appeared first on We Are Change.
Maybe This Is All Happening On Purpose!Posted: 31 Mar 2022 01:02 PM PDTPlease Login to view this content. (Not a member? Join Today!)The post Maybe This Is All Happening On Purpose! appeared first on We Are Change.
BREAKING: It’s Happening TOMORROW!Posted: 31 Mar 2022 12:19 PM PDTToday’s video explains what has now been confirmed and what is happening tomorrow.Join us: LukeUncensored.comFollow on Telegram: t.me/s/News4AChangeSign up for our newsletter: bit.ly/3ijjAopShirt store: TheBestPoliticalShirts.comFind us on Minds: minds.com/wearechangeSubscribe on LBRY: lbry.tv/@wearechange:1Filter your water: bit.ly/3d3s8iVImprove your gut health: bit.ly/34GHbdYStorable food for emergencies: SafePreparedAndReady.com#1 best source of Collagen: bit.ly/3mw5uRK#1 best VPN to use: bit.ly/3iT4Ew3The post BREAKING: It’s Happening TOMORROW! appeared first on We Are Change.
Putin Signs Decree Ordering Gas Exports To Be Halted If Buyers Don’t Pay In RublesPosted: 31 Mar 2022 07:55 AM PDTContrary to expectations that Vladimir Putin was bluffing about collecting rubles in exchange for Russian energy exports, moments ago a decree signed by the Russian president confirmed that that was not the case.According to Bloomberg, Putin said he had signed a decree demanding payment in rubles for Russian gas supplies, which is set to begin April 1 as previously reported. According to the decree, while Russia will continue to supply gas at set volumes and prices, it will demand that buyers of gas open accounts in Russian banks, and warned that Moscow can halt gas contracts if buyers don’t pay in rubles; additionally, new proceedings in EUR or USD could be blocked. Pushing what many viewed as a bluff to the edge, Putin said that active contracts will be halted if demands are not met, and explained that the move is meant to increase settlements in national currencies.Putin’s decree follows an earlier report in the Russian press that Gazprom was studying options of halting gas supplies to Europe amid RUB payment issues. It also follows comments from the Kremlin which suggested that it would look into the idea from lawmakers to ask other nations to pay for a wider range of Russia exports in rubles.Indicating Russia’s operational readiness to follow through with the plan, Interfax adds that Putin has ordered for special accounts for gas payments to be opened at Gazprombank which will sell gas FX on a Moscow exchange.In kneejerk response to the news, US nat gas prices spiked – perhaps in anticipation that much of US output will now be LNG-ed over to Europe, potentially creating a US shortage in due course…… while oil also rose from session lows following the latest SPR release jawboning which has yet to be confirmed by the White House.Finally, now that it appears the ruble will have to be purchased by western powers, the currency has completed its roundtrip to pre-invasion levels.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post Putin Signs Decree Ordering Gas Exports To Be Halted If Buyers Don’t Pay In Rubles appeared first on We Are Change.
India Considers Russian Offer of SWIFT Alternative for Ruble Payments as Lavrov VisitsPosted: 31 Mar 2022 06:13 AM PDTIndia is considering a proposal from Russia to use a messaging system developed by the Russian central bank for bilateral payments as New Delhi isn’t following the US-led economic campaign against Moscow, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.Sources told Bloomberg that the plan involves using Russia’s messaging system, known as SPFS, for rupee-ruble-denominated payments. The proposal is expected to be discussed as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in India for his two-day visit on Thursday.The Russian proposal came after the US and its allies imposed sanctions cutting seven Russian banks from SWIFT, the main messaging system used for international financial transactions. Western sanctions also targeted Russia’s use of the dollar and euro, prompting Moscow to demand Europe pay for gas in rubles.As the West is looking to limit its purchases of Russian energy, India is looking to buy more Russian oil at a discount price despite pressure from Washington to join the campaign against Moscow. India is also a major purchaser of Russian weapons, and the Biden administration is openly considering sanctions on New Delhi over its stockpile of Russian arms.Last week, Biden said the US’s allies in Europe and Asia have presented a unified front since Russia invaded Ukraine, with the exception of India, which he described as having a “shaky” stance. India has abstained from condemning Russia’s attack on Ukraine at the UN.Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart just announced the creation of the “fair world order” based on “a multipolar, fair and democratic world order.”If they get India + Middle East to join the days of US dominance and USD reserve currency are over.— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) March 30, 2022India is a member of the Quad and is seen by the US as a counter to China in the region. But if the US goes ahead and sanctions India over its relationship with Russia, it will likely make New Delhi more hesitant about increasing military cooperation with Washington.Republished from Antiwar.com with permissionThe post India Considers Russian Offer of SWIFT Alternative for Ruble Payments as Lavrov Visits appeared first on We Are Change.
Saudi Op-Ed in The Jerusalem Post Warns America “Dismantling Pillars of Own Empire”Posted: 30 Mar 2022 09:12 PM PDTPart of the increasing and closer Gulf state-Israel alliance, which blossomed during the covert war to oust Assad in Syria over the past decade and became formalized with the Abraham Accords of 2020, apparently involves media coordination when it comes to enemy #1 in the region of both sides.An almost unprecedented op-ed in The Jerusalem Post lashed out at both America and Iran, while implicitly praising Israel’s steadfastness against Tehran, and it was authored by a Saudi… more precisely the former editor of the kingdom’s Al Arabiya English, Mohammed Alyahya. The op-ed blasts Washington efforts to restore the Iran nuclear deal by the Biden administration, questioning: If the Americans won’t side with Israel against Iran, what’s the chance they will side with us?In the scathing critique perhaps signaling just how close the Vienna talks are to restoring the JCPOA, the author writes in the Israeli newspaper, “Sold disingenuously to the American public as an arms control agreement, the deal is an assault on the regional order that the United States established in the aftermath of World War II. Explicitly hostile to Saudi Arabia, to say nothing of America’s other greatest ally in the region, Israel, the deal replaces the former American-led regional security structure with a concert system in which Iran, backed by Russia and China, becomes America’s new subcontractor while America’s former allies—the Gulf States and Israel— are demoted to second-tier status.”Further it points out that the Iranians have actually ramped up terror attacks in the region, even as great progress has been reported on the nuclear deal front…“Last Friday, as Blinken prepared for his trip to David Ben Gurion’s old kibbutz of Sde Boker, the Iranian-backed Houthi militia launched a rocket attack against Aramco in Jeddah. This attack was only the latest in a long series of brazen attacks that Iran has conducted, either directly from its own soil or indirectly through proxies,” the op-ed states.And more selections from the Saudi authored op-ed as follows“Human shields for Iran”“Instead of friendship, America seems more inclined to use its old friends as human shields for Iran. Earlier this month, when Iran conducted a ballistic missile strike near the US consulate in Erbil, Iraq, it falsely claimed to be targeting an Israeli facility. A senior Biden official then confirmed the Iranian claim. While other officials later denied it, the damage was done. An American official had assisted Iran in getting the most out of its propaganda by action.”“Seemingly nothing will deflect the White House from its goal. During the negotiations in Vienna, attacks from Iran have grown ever more brazen. Not even an attack by Iranian proxies on American forces in the Tanf region of Syria and repeated attacks on the American embassy in Iraq have deflected Biden from his goal of delivering hundreds of billions of dollars to the IRGC.”Absent? What are these people talking about?US is occupying a third of Syria, has troops in Iraq, has surrounded Iran with military bases, sells/gives Saudi/UAE/Israel all the arms they want & has maintained support Yemen invasion despite talking pts. https://t.co/cubufFvoi7— Ali Ahmadi (@AliAhmadi_Iran) March 23, 2022Obama & Russia’s rise in Middle East to the benefit of Iran“In Riyadh, it is not forgotten that the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014 was followed swiftly by the rise of a Russian-Iranian alliance in Syria that leveled most of the major cities of that country and awarded Moscow with a military base on the Eastern Mediterranean – cementing Russia’s first foothold in the Middle East since the collapse of the Soviet Union.”“When the Saudis protested Obama’s passivity, he told them they must learn to share the region with Iran. And it is not lost on America’s regional allies now that, even as Biden asks Saudi Arabia to raise oil production to help support the campaign against Russia over Ukraine, he is granting sanctions waivers to Russia so that it can continue to guarantee the nuclear deal with Iran that it helped broker — in part by husbanding Iran’s uranium reserves and protecting its underground nuclear facilities filled with illegal centrifuges spinning material for weapons.”The State of Israel expresses its sorrow to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after the horrific attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis.This attack is further proof that Iran’s regional aggression knows no bounds & reinforces the concern of Iran’s IRGC being removed from the FTO list.— Naftali Bennett ??? (@naftalibennett) March 26, 2022“Chinese policy is simple & straightforward”“While American policy is beset by baffling contradictions, Chinese policy is simple and straightforward. Beijing is offering Riyadh a simple deal: Sell us your oil and choose whatever military equipment you want from our catalogue; in return, help us to stabilize global energy markets. In other words, the Chinese are offering what increasingly appears modeled on the American-Saudi deal that stabilized the Middle East for 70 years.”“What is not yet clear is whether the Chinese can be helpful in deterring Iran, or whether they share the American belief in ‘balance.’ But Xi Jinping will visit Riyadh in May. It is a certainty that Saudi leaders will ask him if Iran’s rocketing of the oil facilities of the world’s most reliable oil producer is in the interest of China and, if not, can Beijing make it stop?”Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post Saudi Op-Ed in The Jerusalem Post Warns America “Dismantling Pillars of Own Empire” appeared first on We Are Change.
Massive Solar Flares Detected by NASA, Powerful Geomagnetic Storms Will Hit Earth TonightPosted: 30 Mar 2022 04:24 PM PDTPowerful geomagnetic storms are set to hit Earth’s magnetic field Wednesday night into early Thursday after the sun ejected nearly 20 solar flares from an Earth-facing single sunspot in recent days.The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), a division of NOAA, said a strong geomagnetic storm (rated 3 out of 5) is expected to peak in the early morning hours of Thursday.The eruptions on the sun originated Monday from a superactive sunspot called AR2975, expelling as many as 17 flares. SpaceWeather warns “at least two, possibly three, coronal mass ejections (CMEs)” are headed to Earth.Now that is some action! AR2975 has produced 6 Mflares, 10+ Cflares, and two halo CMEs heading our way. An exciting couple of days and soon maybe here at Earth when the CMEs get here. Together they will be better. ?Get your aurora watching eyes ready! ?? pic.twitter.com/4QhXwkvMC4— Dr. C. Alex Young (@TheSunToday) March 29, 2022When one CME slams into Earth’s magnetic field and another one follows, that’s known as a “cannibal CME” and can result in “tangled magnetic fields and compressed plasmas that can spark strong geomagnetic storms” according to SpaceWeather, meaning that the dazzling northern lights will be seen closer to the equator than usual.“Because these two have merged together or are merging together, that’s often an indication that the CME will be a bit stronger. It’s more stuff coming.“Also, it means that there’s a better chance that the magnetic field will disturb the Earth’s magnetic field,” said Alex Young, a solar astrophysicist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.Young said this CME activity was also accompanied by a “solar tsunami” (also known as an EIT wave, so named for its discovery using the EUV Imaging Telescope), a shock wave that typically indicates an energetic CME. Satellite data show the shock wave propagating across the sun. –WaPoNorthern light sightings are possible for Oregon, Montana, South Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts.SWPC has warned of a “shortwave radio blackout over the Americas.” They pointed to a blackout map that engulfed much of the Eastern Hemisphere.None of this should be surprising as Sunspot Cycle 25 has already begun and is expected to be an active one could be terrible news for the digital economy as disruptions sparked by geomagnetic storms create economic damage. Because it’s a “cannibal CME,” more potential energy could spark a rather powerful geomagnetic storm.Last month, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink lost 40 satellites after a geomagnetic storm knocked them out of orbit. The question for Starlink customers is if they can still maintain a downlink during tonight’s storm.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post Massive Solar Flares Detected by NASA, Powerful Geomagnetic Storms Will Hit Earth Tonight appeared first on We Are Change.
Federal Election Commission Fines Hillary Clinton, DNC Over Steele Dossier HoaxPosted: 30 Mar 2022 02:37 PM PDTThe Federal Election Commission (FEC) has fined both Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for lying about funding the Russian “dossier” which underpinned the collusion hoax that hijacked headlines throughout the Trump presidency, according to the Washington Examiner.The Clinton-funded dossier was also used by the FBI to justify seeking a FISA surveillance (spy) warrant on the Trump campaign.According to the FEC, Clinton and the DNC violated strict rules governing disclosure of expenditures on opposition research, when they paid opposition research firm Fusion GPS to contract with Steele and cook up propaganda against Trump.A combined $1,024,407.97 was paid by the treasurers of the DNC and Clinton campaign to law firm Perkins Coie for Fusion GPS’s information, and the party and campaign hid the reasonclaiming it was for legal services, not opposition research.Instead, the DNC’s $849,407.97 and the Clinton campaign’s $175,000 covered Fusion GPS’s opposition research on the dossier, a basis for the so-called “Russia hoax” that dogged Trump’s first term. -Washington ExaminerThe dossier, which was assembled by former (?) UK spook Christopher Steele and used now-indicted Russian national Igor Danchenko as its primary source, made wide ranging and salacious allegations against former President Donald Trump, most of which have been debunked.Somehow we doubt the ‘election interference’ crowd is going to pipe up over Clinton’s meddling in the 2016 US election, using a dossier that undermined Trump’s presidency every step of the way.According to the FEC memo to the Coolidge Reagan Foundation – which filed a complaint over three years ago, Clinton’s campaign and the DNC argued that they were simply paying for “legal advice and services,” since it was Perkins Coie that actually hired Fusion GPS. The agency, however, says that the law is clear and was violated.The fines themselves are minuscule – with Clinton’s treasurer hit for $8,000 and the DNC’s treasurer for $105,000.“This may well be the first time that Hillary Clinton — one of the most evidently corrupt politicians in American history — has actually been held legally accountable, and I’m proud to have forced the FEC to do their job for once. The Coolidge Reagan Foundation proved that with pluck and grit, Americans who stand with integrity can stand up to the Clinton machine and other corrupt political elites,” said Dan Backer, who brought the complaint on behalf of the foundation.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post Federal Election Commission Fines Hillary Clinton, DNC Over Steele Dossier Hoax appeared first on We Are Change.
Hunter Biden Dam About To Burst? WaPo, CNN Go Scorched Earth Over “Laptop From Hell”Posted: 30 Mar 2022 01:37 PM PDTSomething strange is going on with the Hunter Biden laptop story.As regular readers know, the New York Post was excommunicated from social media shortly before the 2020 US election by Big Tech for reporting on shady international business dealings by the Biden family – particularly in Ukraine and China, contained within a trove of emails, text messages, photographs and financial documents that were on a laptop Hunter abandoned at a Delaware computer repair shop in April 2019.To refresh your memory:Hunter Biden Ex-Biz Associate Was Livid Over $5MM Side-Deal With Chinese: TextsWhy Is The FBI’s Top Child Porn Lawyer Involved In Hunter Biden Laptop Case?Hunter Biden Laptop Linked To FBI Money Laundering InvestigationHunter Biden Witness Moved From Prison Cell After Exposing Influence-Peddling OperationChinese Money Launderer Called James Biden After FBI Arrest, Was Trying To Reach HunterSperry Exposes The Complete History Of Hunter Biden’s Crony-Connected JobsLatest Cache Of Emails Detail How Hunter Biden Earned Millions In China “For Introductions”Covering for the Bidens to help him win the 2020 election, people like Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) insisted it was Russian propaganda, and outlets which reported on the laptop were smeared as conspiracy theorists.“FBI & DOJ concur w/ Ratcliffe that Hunter Biden’s laptop & the emails in question weren’t part of a Russian disinformation campaign.”Adam Schiff last Friday:“This whole smear on Joe Biden comes from the Kremlin.”
pic.twitter.com/1ryEj27KCP— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 20, 2020More than 50 ‘former senior intelligence officials’ signed a pre-election letter proclaiming the laptop story ‘has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.’The Tide TurnsTwo weeks ago, the New York Times confirmed the laptop exists, and is legit – and confirmed several previously reported aspects of the story, including correspondence between Hunter and his business partner Devon Archer, both of whom served on the board Ukrainian energy giant Burisma.Today, the Washington Post and CNN are piling on – with the post confirming yet-more details of the laptop contents, and CNN running a blistering segment and reporting that the federal investigation into Hunter is ‘heating up.’The Washington Post, meanwhile, reports on Hunter’s “multimillion-dollar deals with a Chinese energy company.What’s going on here?Whatever the case, Glenn Greenwald isn’t about to let the MSM get away with this U-turn unscathed.Just fucking amazing: now the WashPost, 10 days after NYT, admits that the contents of the Hunter Biden laptop are genuine and uses them in their reporting.Yet **not one** corrupt outlet that spread the CIA’s pre-election lie that it was “Russian disinformation” has retracted. pic.twitter.com/K6hGIp3jrN— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) March 30, 2022I don’t care that I talk about this a lot. It’s not talked about enough. The CIA, Big Tech and corporate media all conspired in the weeks before the election to spread a clear lie to manipulate the election: that these emails were forged by Russia. Now *they ignore the proof*.— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) March 30, 2022Permit me to ask this one question about the US media:Other than that they genuinely see their role as lying for noble ends, what could possibly justify their refusal to retract their CIA lie that the Biden archive was “Russian disinformation” or at least acknowledge the proof?— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) March 30, 2022Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post Hunter Biden Dam About To Burst? WaPo, CNN Go Scorched Earth Over “Laptop From Hell” appeared first on We Are Change.
As Prices Soar, So Do Russian Jets Armed With NukesPosted: 30 Mar 2022 12:39 PM PDTToday’s video explains why you need to buckle up and how what’s going on in the world and economically is going to hurt.Join us: LukeUncensored.comFollow on Telegram: t.me/s/News4AChangeSign up for our newsletter: bit.ly/3ijjAopShirt store: TheBestPoliticalShirts.comFind us on Minds: minds.com/wearechangeSubscribe on LBRY: lbry.tv/@wearechange:1Filter your water: bit.ly/3d3s8iVImprove your gut health: bit.ly/34GHbdYStorable food for emergencies: SafePreparedAndReady.com#1 best source of Collagen: bit.ly/3mw5uRK#1 best VPN to use: bit.ly/3iT4Ew3The post As Prices Soar, So Do Russian Jets Armed With Nukes appeared first on We Are Change.
There’s Something Really Fishy Going On Here!Posted: 30 Mar 2022 12:38 PM PDTPlease Login to view this content. (Not a member? Join Today!)The post There’s Something Really Fishy Going On Here! appeared first on We Are Change.
Florida Did Nothing WRONG!Posted: 29 Mar 2022 03:36 PM PDTPlease Login to view this content. (Not a member? Join Today!)The post Florida Did Nothing WRONG! appeared first on We Are Change.
BIZARRE: Something Strange Is Happening…Posted: 29 Mar 2022 01:23 PM PDTToday’s video breaks down the current situation and explains how something strange is happening.Join us: LukeUncensored.comFollow on Telegram: t.me/s/News4AChangeSign up for our newsletter: bit.ly/3ijjAopShirt store: TheBestPoliticalShirts.comFind us on Minds: minds.com/wearechangeSubscribe on LBRY: lbry.tv/@wearechange:1Filter your water: bit.ly/3d3s8iVImprove your gut health: bit.ly/34GHbdYStorable food for emergencies: SafePreparedAndReady.com#1 best source of Collagen: bit.ly/3mw5uRK#1 best VPN to use: bit.ly/3iT4Ew3The post BIZARRE: Something Strange Is Happening… appeared first on We Are Change.
“Unique Atmospheric Sight” Over Alaska Ignites Wild Social Media Speculation

“Unique Atmospheric Sight” Over Alaska Ignites Wild Social Media SpeculationPosted: 09 Apr 2022 05:09 PM PDTOn Thursday morning, footage of a bizarre cloud formation over Alaska’s Lazy Mountain sparked a tweetstorm as people searched for answers.“The Russians?” Aliens?!” “Plane crash?” People were stunned by the vortex-like cloud posted on Twitter and across all social media platforms.The mysterious cloud went viral, forcing the Alaska State Troopers and the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center to release a public advisory statement:“There have been no reports of overdue aircraft or ELT activations indicating an aircraft crash. “A rescue team on a helicopter flew a mission around the Lazy Mountain area this morning and located nothing suspicious and there were no signs of crashed aircraft,” Alaska State Troopers said. Others posted similar photos and speculated it could’ve been a rocket launch, a meteor, or even a volcano.After Alaska State Troopers flew a reconnaissance mission in the area, they found nothing. Officials eventually revealed the bizarre cloud was a contrail for a commercial jet.“Further investigation revealed that a large commercial jet was flying in that area around the time that the photos and video were taken. The aircraft was contacted and reported normal flight operations on its way to JFK airport in New York. Troopers believe that the photos and videos showed a contrail from the commercial jet combined with the rising sun which together caused the unique atmospheric sight,” the statement read. Even though officials offered their explanation, some on social media are skeptical that the crazy vortex cloud could’ve been something else.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post “Unique Atmospheric Sight” Over Alaska Ignites Wild Social Media Speculation appeared first on We Are Change.
U.S. City Moves Forward With Measure to Provide Universal Basic Income to Trans, Nonbinary ResidentsPosted: 09 Apr 2022 02:54 PM PDTIt looks like universal basic income could soon become a reality for some Americans.And those Americans are transgendered people living in Palm Springs, California.The city’s town council voted to allocate $200,000 to Queer Works and DAP Health, two non-profits, to develop a pilot program that would provide cash support to transgender, nonbinary and intersex residents in the form of cash payments.The city council considered the measure for “an hour and a half” last Thursday, before unanimously voting to support it. The Washington Post said the proposal could be “the first guaranteed basic income program specifically for low-income transgender and nonbinary people to be implemented in the country.”Christy Holstege, a Palm Springs City Council member, commented: “We are a beacon in the country and in the world, a place where LGBTQ people have fled for decades to seek sanctuary and safety and their own community. And so I think it’s really important for Palm Springs to be on the front lines of supporting the trans community … especially when they’re under attack throughout the country.”She has noted that there is an “undercurrent of poverty” in the city.The mayor of Palm Springs is a transgender woman and the city has a history of funding queer and trans organizations in the community.The city has also suffered from “worsening income inequality” and skyrocketing housing prices that have disproportionately affected transgender and nonbinary people, the report says.Jacob Rostovsky, who helped push the measure, said that for people with low incomes “regular, unrestricted cash payments” are a “huge benefit”.“Most of my community is trying to decide if they should eat that night, have somewhere safe to sleep, be able to afford their hormone care of therapy. They’re making decisions constantly, daily, that many cisgender individuals don’t even think about, and that includes homeless or housing unstable cisgender individuals,” he concluded.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post U.S. City Moves Forward With Measure to Provide Universal Basic Income to Trans, Nonbinary Residents appeared first on We Are Change.
Boris Johnson Makes Surprise Trip to War-Torn Ukraine for Zelensky MeetingPosted: 09 Apr 2022 10:13 AM PDTUK Prime Minister Boris Johnson showed up in the Ukrainian capital Saturday, in a bold surprise visit made public for the first time in photographs posted to government accounts showing the face-to-face meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky.Zelensky’s office confirmed on Facebook that he and Johnson met. “Right now Boris Johnson’s visit to Kiev began with a tet-a-tet meeting with President Zelensky. Great Britain is a leader in defense support of Ukraine. The leader in the anti-war coalition. Leader in sanctions on Russian aggressor,” a statement said.Surprise ? pic.twitter.com/AWa5RjYosD— Embassy of Ukraine to the UK (@UkrEmbLondon) April 9, 2022Zelensky in his own social media post revealing the meeting, called Johnson “one of the most principled opponents of the Russian invasion” and a “leader in sanctions pressure.”And the UK’s embassy in Ukraine posted an image of the two leaders holding discussions in a small room with the word “surprise”.The British prime minister’s office said Johnson went there in person, even as a major war is happening, in order to show “solidarity with the Ukrainian people.” The statement further said, “They will discuss the UK’s long-term support to Ukraine and the PM will set out a new package of financial and military aid.”The day prior, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Commission Vice President Josep Borrell Fontelles were inside Ukraine to meet with Zelensky, and even had a battlefield tour of sorts.Ukraine’s Zelensky writes on Telegram of his “friend,” the British PM, “The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson is one of the most principled opponents of the Russian invasion, a leader in sanctions pressure on Russia and defense support for Ukraine.” pic.twitter.com/sRghcMgypM— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) April 9, 2022On Thursday, a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels among the alliance’s foreign ministers saw the US and UK lead the way in forging a fresh agreement to give Ukraine “new and heavier” weapons, at a moment a limited number of Czech-provided Soviet-designed T-72M tanks have already been transferred to Kiev – reportedly with the quiet assistance of Washington.“There was support for countries to supply new and heavier equipment to Ukraine, so that they can respond to these new threats from Russia,” British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said at a press briefing. It appears Johnson’s meeting likely hashed out with Zelensky precisely what additional weapons the UK is ready to transfer.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post Boris Johnson Makes Surprise Trip to War-Torn Ukraine for Zelensky Meeting appeared first on We Are Change.
Finland, Sweden NATO Applications Could Be ‘Imminent” After Stoltenberg Hints at Fast-TrackingPosted: 08 Apr 2022 09:35 AM PDTLast weekend saw Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin signal a complete reversal of policy direction, saying that a “new security environment” in Europe brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine means the country has to rethink its long-standing policy of neutrality toward the NATO bloc. “Russia is not the neighbor we thought it was,” she said of Moscow’s ongoing assault on Ukraine, calling it a “flagrant violation”.“In this new situation and changed security environment, we’ll have to evaluate all means to guarantee the safety of Finland and Finns,” Marin said. “We’ll have to seriously mull over our own stance and approach to military alignment. We’ll have to do this carefully but quickly, effectively during the course of this spring.”Days after these words which Moscow saw as highly provocative, Axios in a new report says Finland’s ascendancy to the alliance appears “imminent”. “Public support and political momentum for Finland joining NATO has reached an all-time high as a result of the war in Ukraine, raising the very real possibility that the alliance’s borders with Russia could extend by more than 830 miles in a matter of months,” the report says. It could be a mere weeks away.Sweden is also mentioned in the report as being positioned to seek entry into NATO alongside Finland. This after NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg’s open invitation this week. He suggested both Nordic countries would be fast tracked. He remarked this week that he expects “all 30 allies to welcome” Finland and Sweden should they choose to apply.And according to Axios, “60% of Finns now support joining NATO, according to a survey conducted last month — a 34-point jump from last fall, and the highest level since polling on the issue began in 1998.”Finland’s former prime minister, Alexander Stubb, articulated the current climate and thinking in Helsinki. “I think Finns at the moment are driven by what I call rational fear,” he told Axios.“You have to balance between realism and idealism. Realism is that you have a strong standing military as we have, and idealism is to try to cooperate with a big neighbor,” he explained.”Finland is driven by rational fear… that’s why we’ll join NATO.”
Former Finnish Prime Minister and Director at @STGEUI @alexstubb tells @EleniGiokos about Finland’s decision to fast-track its application for NATO membership: pic.twitter.com/Z7iUyxKMZZ— Connect the World (@CNNConnect) April 8, 2022Stubb added: “There has been this bona fide attempt to forge a functioning relationship with Russia, and now that people see that that is impossible — especially under [President Vladimir] Putin — they’ve changed their opinion.”Finland has over the years regularly hosted and participated in NATO exercises, while also seeking to pursue transparent and positive relations with Moscow.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post Finland, Sweden NATO Applications Could Be ‘Imminent” After Stoltenberg Hints at Fast-Tracking appeared first on We Are Change.
NATO Member Slovakia Announces Transfer of S-300 Missile System to UkrainePosted: 08 Apr 2022 09:15 AM PDTIn a hugely provocative announcement, Slovakia on Friday has said the NATO country has donated its S-300 air defense system to Ukraine to “help it defend against Russia’s aggression,” according to a statement from Prime Minister Eduard Heger.The official Slovakia in NATO Twitter account also confirmed that it is “stepping up its support to Ukraine” by sending the “S-300 air defense system to Ukraine, so it can defend itself against ongoing Russian aggression.Slovakia is stepping up its support to Ukraine. We sent S-300 air defence system to ??, so it can defend itself against ongoing Russian aggression.This would not be possible without the help of our Allies in securing our own defence. #WeAreNATO #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/LzBWDjfAPa— Slovakia in NATO (@Slovakia_NATO) April 8, 2022Slovakia’s defense ministry even published video of what appears to be a mobile S-300 unit being readied and pulling out of a military base. So far it appears a single unit will be given to Ukrainian forces.Prime Minister Eduard Heger had said his country “donated” its Soviet-era defense system to Ukraine. The announcement came as he visited the Ukrainian capital with top EU officials, just before a meeting with President Zelensky.And so it appears NATO is inching little by little toward a potential ‘no fly zone’ over Ukraine, given the S-300 is precisely the type of major equipment that would be needed. Russia’s reaction will without doubt be fierce, given this initial somewhat symbolic first step toward that possible end.Slovakia has donated SA-10 (S-300) air defence system to Ukraine to strengthen their self defence against illegal, illegitimate  agression. Thanks to Allies’ strengthened presence, Slovakia’s security and defence remains strong #WeAreNATO @ArmadaSR pic.twitter.com/1xVIALWmTf— Jaro Nad (@JaroNad) April 8, 2022The Associated Press is noting this comes in direct response to Zelensky urging the west to “close the skies” for Russian aircraft over UkraineZelenskyy mentioned S-300s by name when he spoke to U.S. lawmakers by video last month, appealing for defense systems that would allow Ukraine to “close the skies” to Russian warplanes and missiles.The action also comes after foreign ministers of NATO met in Brussels Thursday where they reportedly agreed to give Ukraine “new and heavier weapons” – though without defining which precise weapons systems under consideration.Russia has vowed that it’s ready to attack as “legitimate targets” any external weapons shipments intercepted from outside powers. S-300 transfers certainly bring NATO and Russia on a more direct collision course, and it’s unclear the degree to which other NATO allies signed off on this provocative delivery.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post NATO Member Slovakia Announces Transfer of S-300 Missile System to Ukraine appeared first on We Are Change.
China Calls for Facts on “Deeply Disturbing” Bucha Massacre, Tells All Sides to “Avoid Unfounded Accusations”

China Calls for Facts on “Deeply Disturbing” Bucha Massacre, Tells All Sides to “Avoid Unfounded Accusations”Posted: 06 Apr 2022 02:58 PM PDTMultiple days following Kiev alleging mass killings of civilians committed by Russian forces in the Ukrainian town of Bucha which has been driving headlines in the West, China has weighed in for the first time, also as the EU and US ratchet sanctions on Moscow over what they say are clear war crimes.China’s ambassador to the United Nations Ambassador Zhang Jun said on Tuesday that the reports and images coming out of Bucha are “very disturbing”, but stressed that any accusations against Russian forces must be independently verified and based firmly in facts.“Attacks against civilians are unacceptable and should not occur,” the ambassador said. “The reports and images of civilian deaths in Bucha are deeply disturbing.”But he added a key caveat while stopping short of condemning Moscow or Vladimir Putin, stressing that “circumstances and specific causes of the incident should be verified and established” and that “all sides should exercise restraint and avoid unfounded accusations.”And Reuters reported further his words as follows:Speaking at a Security Council meeting, Ambassador Zhang Jun repeated Beijing’s stance that sanctions are not effective in solving the Ukraine crisis but instead they accelerate the economic spillover. He also called the United States, NATO and the European Union to engage in a dialogue with Russia.Chinese state-run media suggested what’s widely being referred to as the ‘Bucha massacre’ in which at least 300 civilians died is a manufactured event meant to paint Russia into a corner. “An editorial in Global Times, the nationalist tabloid affiliated with party mouthpiece People’s Daily, said the incident should not be used as a pretext for inflaming the situation,” SCMP notes.Meanwhile the European Union has implied that Beijing is being tone deaf on the Ukraine issue, with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell characterizing the latest EU summit with Xi Jinping as a “deaf dialogue”.“China wanted to set aside our difference on Ukraine,” he said of last week’s virtual summit. “They didn’t want to talk about Ukraine. They didn’t want to talk about human rights and other issues, and instead focused on the positive things.”China’s foreign ministry on Wednesday accused Washington of “fanning the flames” in Ukraine…If the US earnestly hopes to help de-escalate the #Ukraine situation, it should stop fanning the flame, imposing sanctions or coercive words and deeds, Chinese FM spokesperson said on Wed. pic.twitter.com/nc8ocyuXbd— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) April 6, 2022The clear allegation out of Brussels is that Beijing is showing little active interest in ending the war in Ukraine. Recently European leaders have been urging Beijing to intervene diplomatically to convince Putin to halt the invasion, which is now focused on securing Ukraine’s eastern regions.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post China Calls for Facts on “Deeply Disturbing” Bucha Massacre, Tells All Sides to “Avoid Unfounded Accusations” appeared first on We Are Change.
U.S. Warns India Faces “Significant Long-Term Costs” If It Aligns With RussiaPosted: 06 Apr 2022 01:01 PM PDTGiven that a handful of countries that rank among the top largest economies in the world have thus far been reluctant to firmly condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this could prove the significant monkey wrench in US-EU plans to severely isolate and wreak havoc on global Russian exports.Among these include the obvious – China, but also there’s India, the UAE, Brazil and Indonesia. India for example – standing just behind the UK as the 6th largest economy – remains the the single largest buyer of Russian weapons. India is also reportedly seeking more discounted Russian oil, in what looks to be a potential move away from Saudi crude.In early March, The New York Times noted that India was among those countries dependent on many Russian imports that’s attempting to “stay above the fray”. “When India abstained from a United Nations vote and the chorus of Western condemnation against the Ukraine invasion, it appeared to be taking sides: offering tacit support for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia,” the Times emphasized previously.And now Washington is putting New Delhi on notice that it faces ‘significant costs’ should it become aligned with Russia, and as a major export destination allowing Putin to side-step sanctions effects.The Biden administraiton’s Director of the National Economic Council of the United States Brian Deese has said the US remains “disappointed” with aspects of the Indian government’s reaction to the Ukraine crisis.“There are certainly areas where we have been disappointed by both China and India’s decisions, in the context of the invasion,” he said a Wednesday event in D.C.He was cited as saying in Bloomberg:The US has told India that the consequences of a “more explicit strategic alignment” with Moscow would be “significant and long-term,” he said.India has so far rejected falling in line with the West’s anti-Russia sanctions, instead continuing to import Russian oil, which remains at an estimated 2% of its total oil imports.Whatever you make of this emotion the salience of it is restricted to only a few of the dark blue countries. Ukraine’s supporters should worry that two thirds of humanity live in neutral or Russia-leaning countries. https://t.co/1IssHf6Qmb pic.twitter.com/kKYX5hfxqy— Ben Judah (@b_judah) April 6, 2022As NBC News reviewed of recent visits of top Washington officials to New Delhi:A flurry of visits by Russian and Western diplomats is unlikely to change India’s neutral stance on the war in Ukraine, experts say, particularly since the war has the support of a public being bombarded by media coverage that blames the U.S. for the conflict.  Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has meanwhile praised the Modi government for the avoidance of adopting a merely “one-sided view” of the conflict in Ukraine.On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary issued statements demanding that fence-sitting countries urgently conform to US and European sanctions measures. “We don’t believe it’s in India’s interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities,” she said directly addressing New Delhi in the press conference. She stressed that “every country should abide by the sanctions that we [ the U.S.] have announced and that we’re implementing around the world.”Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post U.S. Warns India Faces “Significant Long-Term Costs” If It Aligns With Russia appeared first on We Are Change.
Comment: India has aligned with Russia since this was written. All the BRICs countries are aligned with Russia and U.S. Citizens don’t even know the BRICs exist.
They Want Algorithms To Decide Your Identity!!!Posted: 06 Apr 2022 11:13 AM PDTPlease Login to view this content. (Not a member? Join Today!)The post They Want Algorithms To Decide Your Identity!!! appeared first on We Are Change.
BOMBSHELL: Obama Returns To White House!Posted: 06 Apr 2022 11:01 AM PDTToday’s video explains Obama’s return to the White House and how certain policies are continuing.Who’s REALLY in charge?Join us: LukeUncensored.comFollow on Telegram: t.me/s/News4AChangeSign up for our newsletter: bit.ly/3ijjAopShirt store: TheBestPoliticalShirts.comFind us on Minds: minds.com/wearechangeSubscribe on LBRY: lbry.tv/@wearechange:1Filter your water: bit.ly/3d3s8iVImprove your gut health: bit.ly/34GHbdYStorable food for emergencies: SafePreparedAndReady.com#1 best source of Collagen: bit.ly/3mw5uRK#1 best VPN to use: bit.ly/3iT4Ew3The post BOMBSHELL: Obama Returns To White House! appeared first on We Are Change.
Zelensky Says Post-War Ukraine Will Be Like Israel, Won’t Be “Liberal, European”Posted: 06 Apr 2022 07:56 AM PDTUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that post-war Ukraine will be like a “big Israel” and won’t be “liberal” like Europe.“Ukraine will definitely not be what we wanted it to be from the beginning. It is impossible. Absolutely liberal, European — it will not be like that. It [Ukraine] will definitely come from the strength of every house, every building, every person,” Zelensky said. “We will become a ‘big Israel’ with its own face.”The Ukrainian leader said he expects society to be highly militarized. “We will not be surprised if we have representatives of the Armed Forces or the National Guard in cinemas, supermarkets, and people with weapons. I am confident that the question of security will be the issue number one for the next 10 years. I am sure of it,” he added,” he said.Zelensky insisted that such measures wouldn’t threaten democracy and wouldn’t turn Ukraine into an authoritarian state. “An authoritarian state would lose to Russia. People know what they are fighting for,” he said.However, since the war started, Zelensky has prohibited military-age males from leaving Ukraine, banned 11 opposition political parties, and nationalized the media. Hawks in the US often tout Ukraine as a “liberal democracy” worth defending, and President Biden has framed the conflict in Russia as a battle between “autocracy” and “democracy.”Republishd from AntiWar.com with permissionThe post Zelensky Says Post-War Ukraine Will Be Like Israel, Won’t Be “Liberal, European” appeared first on We Are Change.
Ukraine Receives Tanks From Czech Republic After Reports of U.S ‘Quietly’ AssistingPosted: 06 Apr 2022 07:25 AM PDTOn Tuesday it was confirmed that Ukraine has received over a dozen Soviet-designed T-72M tanks from the Czech Republic amid a big push among Western powers to bolster Ukrainian defenses amid the continued Russian war, and as the Russians are beginning to cut off much of the east and south.The Czech initiative marks the first time any external power has provided tanks to Kiev since the start of the Feb.24 invasion. Further, the effort to transfer tanks apparently involved the assistance of the Biden administration, as previously reported by Politico and others.And The Wall Street Journal notes the efforts could ramp up, writing, “In a potentially even more important development, both the Czech Republic and neighboring Slovakia, which shares a border with Ukraine, are considering opening their military industrial installations to repair and refit damaged Ukrainian military equipment.”If the program reaches that point, it would mean NATO countries getting more deeply and logistically involved right on Ukraine’s border, potentially coming closer to a direct clash with Russian forces – given the Kremlin early in the invasion warning it would target any external weapons shipments or systems.The WSJ emphasizes this possibility by pointing out that “Russia’s campaign of missile strikes across Ukraine has targeted in particular the country’s defense industry, destroying facilities where such repairs and refitting could take place—something that makes the Czech and Slovak cooperation particularly valuable.”Most Western countries have maintained reluctance to transfer weaponry as heavy or significant as tanks, on fears it would lead to open Russia-NATO war. As for the Czech tanks, “These weapons supplies were funded by the Czech government, and private Czech donors who have chipped in to a government-backed crowdsourced fundraising campaign to arm Ukraine,” WSJ notes further.The program likely has Washington’s “quiet” involvement. Days ago Politico reported that “The U.S. government is reportedly set to transfer Soviet-made tanks to support Ukrainian defense efforts against continued Russian attacks in the country’s east.”The Biden administration has in the past days repeatedly declined to comment on the widespread reporting of US involvement…Blinken said yesterday that he “can’t get into” whether this report is accurate, and that the US will now be sending tanks into Ukraine. According to the Biden Administration, the public has no right to know the details of these daily escalations in an intensifying US proxy war pic.twitter.com/JAUnSPJlSb— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) April 4, 2022Further, “A government official in Washington told the New York Times on Friday that the decision of U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration had come as a response to requests by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to support his country’s war effort with military equipment, including tanks.”Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post Ukraine Receives Tanks From Czech Republic After Reports of U.S ‘Quietly’ Assisting appeared first on We Are Change.
African Union, WHO-Backed Covax Refuse to Buy Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines as Demand PlummetsPosted: 06 Apr 2022 07:13 AM PDTGet ready for another wave of COVID fearmongering as Big Pharma tries to push a second (then a third, then a fourth…) booster dose as demand wanes (even as scientists warn about a new hybrid mutant strain).Moderna shares are tumbling on Tuesday after two of the world’s most critical supranational bodies representing low- and middle-income countries have decided not to purchase hundreds of millions of additional doses of the company’s vaccine as a result of waning demand.The African Union and Covax, the Bill Gates and WHO-backed group dedicated to spreading (low cost) vaccines across the world, made the decision to pass on buying more jabs (while the US rolls out a second booster for older patients) as developing nations struggle to find enough customers eager to be inoculated.Of course, it’s not just demand that’s keeping vaccination numbers low: According to Bloomberg, developing nations have struggled to turn supplies into inoculations. Lower-income countries left behind in the global rollout are now grappling with a lack of funds, hesitancy, supply-chain obstacles and other factors that are hampering distribution.But outside of China and Hong Kong, COVID cases, deaths and hospitalizations have waned dramatically. This in turn has undermined demand.What’s more, after more than a year of getting the short end of the stick from Western vaccine makers, developing nations have become resentful, as more consumers take the view that, if they have made it this far without the jabs, then they certainly don’t need them now.“The vaccine landscape has changed drastically in recent months,” said Safura Abdool Karim, a public-health lawyer and researcher in Johannesburg who’s focused on equity in the pandemic. “We went from really needing vaccines super urgently to now having them.”While the African Union agreed to purchase 50 million doses during Q1, the organization opted not to acquire another 60 million doses in the second quarter.Covax, meanwhile, opted not to buy 166 million doses for delivery in Q3, and also turned down another alternative for 166 million doses in Q4. Although a spokesperson for the organization said talks for another round of purchases have continued to drag on.Africa has the world’s lowest immunization rate, with only 15% of the continent’s population counted as fully vaccinated. That’s compared with a global average of 57%, the WHO said last month. Only about 400 million of the more than 700 million doses Africa has received have been administered, leaving hundreds of millions of doses to rot on the shelves.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post African Union, WHO-Backed Covax Refuse to Buy Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines as Demand Plummets appeared first on We Are Change.
IT DOESN’T ADD UP!

IT DOESN’T ADD UP!Posted: 03 Apr 2022 12:38 PM PDTToday’s video provides an explanation for what’s really going on with certain people and reveals how the current situation just doesn’t add up.Join us: LukeUncensored.comFollow on Telegram: t.me/s/News4AChangeSign up for our newsletter: bit.ly/3ijjAopShirt store: TheBestPoliticalShirts.comFind us on Minds: minds.com/wearechangeSubscribe on LBRY: lbry.tv/@wearechange:1Filter your water: bit.ly/3d3s8iVImprove your gut health: bit.ly/34GHbdYStorable food for emergencies: SafePreparedAndReady.com#1 best source of Collagen: bit.ly/3mw5uRK#1 best VPN to use: bit.ly/3iT4Ew3The post IT DOESN’T ADD UP! appeared first on We Are Change.
German Retailers to Increase Food Prices by 20-50% on Monday as Mass Inflation HitsPosted: 03 Apr 2022 12:15 PM PDTJust days after Germany reported the highest inflation in generation (with February headline CPI soaring at a 7.6% annual pace and blowing away all expectations), giving locals a distinctly unpleasant deja vu feeling even before the  Russian invasion of Ukraine broke what few supply chains remained and sent prices even higher into the stratosphere…… on Monday, Germany will take one step toward a return of the dreaded Weimar hyperinflation, when according to the German Retail Association (HDE), consumers should prepare for another wave of price hikes for everyday goods and groceries with Reuters reporting that prices at German retail chains will explode between 20 and 50%:GERMAN RETAIL CHAINS TO INCREASE FOOD PRICES BY 20-50% FROM MONDAYEven before the outbreak of war in Ukraine, prices had risen by about five per cent “across the product range” as a result of increased energy prices, HDE President Josef Sanktjohanser told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung on Friday. With Russia’s invasion hitting economies and the supply chain harder, yet another series of price increases is on the horizon.“The second wave of price increases is coming, and it will certainly be in double figures,” Sanktjohanser warned, cited by The Local.According to the president of the trade association, the first retail chains have already started to raise their prices in Germany – and the rest are likely to follow.“We will soon be able to see the impact of the war reflected in price labels across all the supermarkets,” said Sanktjohanser.Recently, popular retail chains such as Aldi, Edeka and Globus announced that they would be forced to raise their prices. At Aldi, meat and butter will be “significantly more expensive” from Monday due to price hikes from its suppliers.“Since the start of the Ukraine war, there have been jumps in purchase prices that we have not experienced before,” a spokesperson for Aldi Nord announced on Friday.A fortnight ago, Aldi raised the prices of about 160 items, and a week later 20 more items became more expensive. Other supermarket brands quickly followed suit.In February, Germany’s cost of living rose at the highest level since reunification, with everyday goods increasing by an average of 7.3%. The federal statistics agency Destatis said the jump from January’s figure of 5.1 percent to February’s 7.3 percent reflected the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has sent the price of oil and gas soaring.According to a recently published survey by the Ifo Institute, almost all companies in Germany’s food retail sector are planning price increases.Though price increases are a worry for Germany’s hard-hit consumers, industry experts don’t expect there to be a lack of products on the shelves anytime soon. Which, of course, is to be expected when prices surge so high far fewer can afford to buy products.According to Joachim Rukwied, president of the farming association, the food supply in Germany is assured for at least another year – though after this the forecasts are less certain. With rumors of shortages swirling around, however, supermarket owners have been complaining of the sort of panic-buying not seen since the first months of pandemic.As previously noted, German supermarkets have even started limiting the purchase of cooking oils and flour in particular to prevent a mad rush to stock up on items that customers believe will run out. In other words, limit the sale of those products which are in highest demand, also known as a “brilliant strategy.”And now that everyday food product prices are about to surge as much as 50%, it will be interesting to watch how much longer the German population will condone a NATO stance that has been seeking to stoke and perpetuate the war in Ukraine.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post German Retailers to Increase Food Prices by 20-50% on Monday as Mass Inflation Hits appeared first on We Are Change.
Poland “Open” and Ready to Host U.S. Nukes on NATO’s Eastern FlankPosted: 03 Apr 2022 12:00 PM PDTThe large NATO ‘eastern flank’ country of Poland now says it’s “open” to hosting nuclear weapons as a deterrent against Russian aggression. A fresh weekend statement from Deputy Prime Minister of Poland Jaroslaw Kaczynski urged a tougher united Western stance against Moscow.Specifically he said Poland stands open and ready to deploy US nuclear weapons on its soil. This is the same ruling party politician who previously called for a NATO ‘peacekeeping’ mission in Ukraine, which other Western leaders have rejected given it would mean a direct shooting war with Russia.“The eastern flank must be much better protected in the future than before,” Kaczynski told Germany’s Welt Am Sonntag newspaper. He also explained the need for America to increase its troops presence in the region by at least half.In perhaps the most provocative section of the interview, he said: “Let’s face it: The soldiers of the U.S. nuclear power are the strongest stopping Russia from attacking NATO countries and provide us with the greatest security.”He went to comment the following on tactical nukes on Polish soil, as reported in Newsweek:Asked if he thought the U.S. should deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Eastern Europe, Kaczynski said he had discussed the idea with American senators while still in opposition with his Law and Justice Party.“Back then, they thought it was possible. If the Americans asked us to store American nuclear weapons in Poland, we would be open to it,” Kaczynski told Welt Am Sonntag.He explained the rationale by saying “This would significantly strengthen deterrence [against Moscow]… At the moment, this issue does not arise, but it may change soon. The initiative would have to come from the Americans. In principle, however, it makes sense to extend nuclear weapons sharing to the eastern flank.”Addressing the US troop presence, he said, “Poland would be pleased if the Americans increased their presence in Europe from the current 100,000 soldiers up to 150,000 in the future due to Russia’s increasing aggressiveness.”The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation has estimated that NATO currently has about 100 US nuclear weapons in Europe, which it says is “stored in five NATO member states across six bases: Kleine Brogel in Belgium, Büchel Air Base in Germany, Aviano and Ghedi Air Bases in Italy, Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands, and Incirlik in Turkey.”Moving any of these into Poland, just across the border from where the Russian military is operating in Ukraine – and so close to what Moscow sees as its own ‘backyard’ – would certainly result in Russia escalating its own nuclear posture. A big part of Russia-NATO tensions underlying the current Ukraine crisis is precisely related to missile placement in Europe, with both sides having expressed a prior desire to work out an agreement, but which now looks more distant than ever.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post Poland “Open” and Ready to Host U.S. Nukes on NATO’s Eastern Flank appeared first on We Are Change.
More Explosions Heard in Russian Border City Where Fuel Depot Was DestroyedPosted: 03 Apr 2022 08:59 AM PDTAre the Ukrainians escalating their attacks on Russian territory?Two days after Ukrainian forces blew up a fuel depot during the first cross-border attack on Russian territory, yet another attack has been reported in Belgorod.During the previous strike, two helicopters purportedly belonging to the Ukrainian air force destroyed a Rosneft fuel depot in an attempt to cripple Russian logistics. To be sure, the Ukrainian high command has denied any involvement in the attack, insinuating instead that it was a ‘false flag’ operation planned by Moscow to justify further brutality in Ukraine.According to Reuters, which cited two witnesses, explosions were heard in the Russian city border city. The source of the blasts wasn’t immediately clear.Two blasts were heard in the Russian city of Belgorod near the border with Ukraine on Sunday, two witnesses told Reuters, days after Russian authorities accused Ukrainian forces of striking a fuel depot there.The cause of the blasts was not immediately clear. One witness said the blasts were so powerful that they rattled the windows of her home in Belgorod.The blasts come days after Russia’s defence ministry said two Ukrainian helicopters struck a fuel depot in the city, some 35 km (22 miles) from the border with Ukraine, after entering Russia at extremely low altitude in the early hours of Friday.The Kremlin said the incident could undermine peace efforts, while a top Ukrainian security official denied responsibility.Locals also reported another blast in a nearby village (although they claimed nobody was hurt).A local official from the region around Belgorod said there had been a blast in the village of Tomarovka on Sunday but that no one had been hurt and no property damaged.“There was a bang, debris fell onto the ground,” Oleg Medvedev, head of the Yakovlevsky city district outside Belgorod, wrote on the Telegram messenger application.He did not elaborate on the nature of the debris nor on the cause of the blast. It was unclear if the blast described by Medvedev was one of the blasts heard by the witnesses.Western military analysts were quick to parse the original strike in Belgorod in a manner that celebrated the Ukrainian’s tactical achievements (per @MarkHertling):Ukraine’s strike of the fuel depot at Belgorod was MUCH more than a bold tactical move.While 1.5 M gallons of fuel is certainly a critical target & will be significant in this logistics war…there’s more.This is what’s called a “deep strike” in US military parlance. 1/6— Mark Hertling (@MarkHertling) April 2, 2022Hertling continues…Ukraine’s strike of the fuel depot at Belgorod was MUCH more than a bold tactical move.While 1.5 M gallons of fuel is certainly a critical target & will be significant in this logistics war…there’s more.This is what’s called a “deep strike” in US military parlance.A deep strike is meant to cause physical damage to the enemy, but it’s also designed to cause increased fear, a feeling that no where is safe, & it sends the message ” we will come after you everywhere, especially when you’re not expecting it.”The Russians believed Belorus and RU territory were safe havens. They’re now less confident of that.The RUs believed they could return to bases in Belarus – to the motor pools they once occupied – and reconsolidate and they would be untouched. No more.A deep strike doesn’t directly or immediately affect the front line troops …but it does have a significant effect on the troops in the rear (the logistics folks, and those returning from the fight).That’s a big deal, and it has huge psychological implications.Beyond being bold & audacious, this UKR strike into Belgorod required more than just 2 helicopters striking a target…It required analysis of target set, planning of the mission, preparation of the routes, jamming of the enemy radars, and a precise strike ability.The fact that the UKR leaders will not “confirm or deny” they did the strike is also – to me – an exclamation point.It says to me “yeah, we did it, and when we get a chance we’ll do it again.”That’s panache. Ukraines got it going on.Of course, that presumes that the Ukrainians were indeed behind the strikes.Here is what the map of the area of operations looks like today:The yellow circle is roughly the area where the outcome of this battle will be decided.The small black arrow represents the likely Ukrainian effort to send in reinforcementsThe big black arrow represents the move away from Kiev and towards the Donbass by Russian forcesBut, as The Saker clarifies, while the maps do, more or less, show the military reality on the ground, they do not show the political realities the same way.  The truth is that there are plenty of towns and cities which are blocked/surrounded by Russian forces, but which are still run by the “old” authorities.The Saker believes this means the following:The Russians need to take the Ukrainians much more seriously and if that means having early warning aircraft and interceptors on combat air patrol 24/7 – then that is what the Russians should do.  A pair of MiG-31BM on constant high altitude CAP over the central Ukraine would be a good start.While the outcome is not in doubt, the Russians need to be very careful and assume that the Ukrainians will fight with skills and courage.I don’t like making predictions, even less so, time-related ones, but I think that we need to prepare ourselves for a major battle lasting several weeks, possibly even a month.Have have to assume that the PSYOPs of the Empire of Lies will go in full attack mode, and since it will be very hard to make sense of what will be going on, we have to ready for a major attack on our minds.Once that Ukrainian force in the Donbass is defeated this will basically mean the end of the 2nd phase of this Special Military Operation (SMO) and the very best and combat capable Ukrainian will have disappeared and a 3rd phase will begin, probably by an attack on the Nikolaev and Odessa regions.Still, we need to remember that all wars are political in nature and that while the military “pain dial” is turned up quite high for the Ukrainians, the US PSYOPs are still telling the Ukrainians that they are winning and soon the first Ukie tanks will enter Moscow.  The de facto fall of Mariupol (as evidenced by the desperate attempts to evacuate the Azov leaders by helicopter) is already a major blow for the Ukrainian narrative.  But this blow pales in comparison to what will happen when the best forces the Ukraine has will simply disappear from the maps of the Donbass.  At that point, no amount of hot air, grand statements or other lies will make a difference – such a defeat is impossible to conceal, it will make the news.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post More Explosions Heard in Russian Border City Where Fuel Depot Was Destroyed appeared first on We Are Change.
Sacramento Mass Shooting: 6 Killed, 15 Injured as Gunfire Erupts Near Capitol BuildingPosted: 03 Apr 2022 06:37 AM PDTPolice in Sacramento said at least 15 people were shot, including six deceased. The mass shooting occurred in the city’s downtown district in the early morning hours of Sunday.? K Street Shooting Update?Officers located at least 15 shooting victims, including 6 who are deceased. There will be a media staging area at 9th St/K St. Continue to follow this thread for updates. #kstreetshooting #sacramentopolice #sacpd— Sacramento Police (@SacPolice) April 3, 2022Sacramento Police tweeted the shooting location, at the intersection of 10th and J Streets, down the street from the California State Capitol Building.ADVISORY: 9th St to 13th St is closed between L St & J St as officers investigate a shooting with multiple victims. Conditions unknown at this time. Please avoid the area as a large police presence will remain and the scene remains active. Please follow this thread for updates. pic.twitter.com/lGhUJCnLWe— Sacramento Police (@SacPolice) April 3, 2022A video posted on Twitter allegedly shows a fight broke out. Then moments later, gunfire erupted, along with the sound of automatic gunfire.BREAKING:? USA: Multiple people k!IIed and injured in mass shooting incident in downtown Sacramento, California; sound of automatic gunfire captured on amateur video pic.twitter.com/aHwco0UZG6— OSINT Updates ? (@OsintUpdates) April 3, 2022Another video shows the incident area around 0300 local time with a large police presence and the capitol building in the background. Some say at least 50 rounds were fired in a matter of seconds.#breaking UPDATE 2:49am on mass shooting 10th & K #sacramento Heard at least 50 rounds in 15 seconds. 5 reported Triage code was “Black”. 3 highly critical just reported, 5 total enroute to two hospitals. This will be a mass shooting and homicide. @kron4news @KTVU @kcranews pic.twitter.com/hLDttwVb30— UkuleleJayBBQ (@ukulelejaybbq) April 3, 2022More footage of the incident area.Video posted to Snapchat shows first responders of Sacramento Fire Department and law enforcement on scene of a multi-casualty incident in the Downtown area of Sacramento. Witnesses report hearing more than fifty gunshots followed by a car screeching away from the scene. pic.twitter.com/APxe7tsb2b— Malik Earnest (@MalikEarnest) April 3, 2022Public Safety News, an independent news agency, reported live from the multi-casualty scene in the Downtown area of Sacramento where multiple people are presumed dead. PSN reports shots rang out shortly after last call for bars in the area. Watch the full video on @PSNews_Sacpic.twitter.com/qfKbq8Z6WV— Malik Earnest (@MalikEarnest) April 3, 2022At least one person on the scene said, “reports indicate a person in a car pulled out an automatic weapon and started shooting into a crowd gathered outside El Santo Restaurant & Ultralounge in the Downtown area of Sacramento.”Social media reports indicate a person in a car pulled out an automatic weapon and started shooting into a crowd gathered outside El Santo Restaurant & Ultralounge in the Downtown area of Sacramento. Radio traffic from first responders last indicated at least six people are dead.— Malik Earnest (@MalikEarnest) April 3, 2022Police provided limited details about the mass shooting but said in a tweet that a “large police presence will remain and the scene remains active.”Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post Sacramento Mass Shooting: 6 Killed, 15 Injured as Gunfire Erupts Near Capitol Building appeared first on We Are Change.
Human Rights Watch Says Ukraine Torture or Killing of Russian POWs Would Be Clear “War Crime”Posted: 02 Apr 2022 05:59 PM PDTA leading international human rights group said Thursday that if genuine, unverified videos showing Ukrainian troops shooting Russian prisoners of war would depict war crimes, while calling on Ukraine to “ensure an effective investigation” into the alleged abuse.Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement that “if confirmed, the beating and shooting of captured combatants in their legs would constitute a war crime, and Ukraine needs to demonstrate that it is able and willing to prevent and punish serious violations of international humanitarian law.”HRW senior legal adviser Aisling Reidy said that “all the information in the videos that suggests abuse, and maybe worse, of POWs needs to be subject to an effective investigation. It should be possible to verify if abuse took place, and from there to hold those responsible to account.”Videos of possible Russian POW abuse by #Ukraine forces are credible enough to require an effective investigation. If confirmed, the abuse would amount to war crime.
https://t.co/w5VLuvMJ7E pic.twitter.com/I6sUVoxX1H— Human Rights Watch (@hrw) April 1, 2022The incident appears to have occurred at a dairy farm in a village near Kharkiv two days after Ukrainian forces retook the area. The videos were posted on social media late last month. On March 28, Ukrainian journalist Yuri Butusov published video recorded at the same dairy farm showing the charred remains of what appeared to be people in Russian military uniforms. It is not known if they are the same soldiers who appeared in the previous videos.Ukrainian officials said the videos would be investigated. Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) published a statement suggesting the videos could be “directly managed by Russian special services,” and that prisoners of war taken by Ukrainian forces “are treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention.”Russian “occupiers spread fakes to divert attention from their atrocities,” SSU said. “Russian fakes are similar to Russian TV series: cheap, vulgar, predictable, and with poor acting.”However, experts consulted by HRW said the videos showing the men being shot were consistent with wounds caused by gunshots.Olexiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said March 27 on Telegram that he “would like to remind all our military, civilian, and defense forces once again that the abuse of prisoners is a war crime that has no amnesty under military law and has no statute of limitations.”Since invading Ukraine in late February, Russian forces have been accused of war crimes including bombing residential areas with cluster munitions; attacking humanitarian corridors and civilian infrastructure including homes, medical facilities, schools, and shelters; shooting unarmed civilians; torture; sex crimes; and kidnapping and forcibly deporting civilians.International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan announced four days into the invasion that he was launching a probe of “alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity” committed in Ukraine.Republished from CommonDreams.org under Creative CommonsThe post Human Rights Watch Says Ukraine Torture or Killing of Russian POWs Would Be Clear “War Crime” appeared first on We Are Change.
Ukraine Announces Million Dollars Reward per Russian Helicopter, Fighter Jet, WarshipPosted: 02 Apr 2022 12:48 PM PDTUkrainian farmers have been stealing tanks and other Russian military equipment with their tractors. Videos have surfaced online in recent weeks, and the question many have asked is what happens with all the captured war machines?It just so happens that the Ukrainian parliament (also known as Rada) passed a new measure rewarding anyone, even Russian soldiers, to turn over equipment to Ukraine for a reward.“For a helicopter – 500 thousand dollars, a tank – 100 thousand, respectively. If, for example, someone is ready to come to us by plane – it’s a million dollars,” the first vice-speaker of the Ukrainian parliament Oleksandr Kornienko said in a statement Saturday.Here’s a complete breakdown of Ukraine’s reward system for the voluntary transfer of Russian military equipment to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (all prices are in USD):Combat aircraft (fighter and assault aircraft) – 1,000,000;Combat helicopter – 500,000;Reactive volley fire system – 25,000 – 35,000;Tank, ground artillery (self-propelled) – 100,000;Infantry fighting vehicle (landing), armored personnel carrier, armored reconnaissance patrol vehicle – 50,000;Military vehicle (truck, specialized), military tractor, military engineering vehicles: reconnaissance, demining, mine barriers, bridges, fencing, for paving roads, for earthworks, to overcome water obstacles – 10,000;Ships of 1st or 2nd rank – 1,000,000;Ships of 3rd or 4th rank – 500,000Ships of military (auxiliary) support – 200,000;Ships of small combat (reconnaissance) purpose – 50,000.Kornienko said Russian troops would be motivated to hand over the weapons to “replenish their financial status” and their “misunderstanding of the meaning of why they are dying.” He added: “the reward tool will work.”This is certainly an innovative way to buy weapons at a discount. Ukrainian farmers stand to make a killing.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post Ukraine Announces Million Dollars Reward per Russian Helicopter, Fighter Jet, Warship appeared first on We Are Change.
Gazprom Halts Gas Shipments to Europe via Critical PipelinePosted: 02 Apr 2022 11:20 AM PDTAfter European nations imported the most gas from Russian sources yesterday in months, scrambling to stock up on supplies as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s deadline to either pay for gas in rubles (or be cut off) came and wentRussian gas giant Gazprom has officially halted all deliveries to Europe via the Yamal-Europe pipeline, a critical artery for European energy supplies.GAZPROM HAS STOPPED DELIVERIES OF RUSSIAN GAS TO GERMANY VIA YAMAL-EUROPE PIPELINE— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 2, 2022Instead of flowing toward Germany and the EU, gas supplies on Friday and Saturday started flowing in the opposite direction, according to Gascade, the network operator.In recent months, the EU has already boosted imports of LNG from the US……and despite President Biden’s promise to bolster to exports to the EU (although he stipulated that not all of this additional capacity would come from the US), researchers at Goldman Sachs have already shown that US exports of LNG are already at capacity.Another problem for pipeline-dependent Europe: the continent presently doesn’t have the infrastructure to allow it to rapidly ramp up imports of LNG, which must be carefully processed and “regassified” before it can be distributed to utilities and other distributors of energy.A map below illustrates the level of dependence that various European economies have on RussiaBut it’s not just the Germans who must now make due without Russian gas supplies. British energy major Shell is being cut off from Russian supplies in response to the UK’s economic sanctions on Russia, said Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of Russian President Vladimir Putin.“London wants to be the leader of everything anti-Russian. It even wants to be ahead of Washington! That’s the cost!” Peskov outlined.So far, the UK is the only country to have imposed sanctions on Russia’s Gazprombank, through which payments for Russian natural gas are made. The measure effectively denies Britain the ability to pay for the commodity, and has forced Gazprom to walk away from the sales and trading arm. In accordance with Putin’s decree that Russian gas be paid for in rubles, Gazprom has set up foreign-currency accounts for customers where their currencies can be converted into rubles on the Moscow exchange.Now that Putin is turning up the pressure, the European nations have a difficult choice ahead: either they can play ball and demonstrate to the world that their efforts to wean themselves off of their dependence on Russian energy have been mostly in vain. Or they can face a “catastrophic” economic crisis as energy prices soar, leading to rationing, blackouts and other measures that will make the 1970s oil crisis in the US look like child’s play.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post Gazprom Halts Gas Shipments to Europe via Critical Pipeline appeared first on We Are Change.
U.S. Will Work With Allies to Send Soviet-Made Tanks to UkrainePosted: 02 Apr 2022 06:42 AM PDTA US official told The New York Times on Friday that the Biden administration will work with allies in Europe to send Soviet-made tanks to Ukraine as the Western push to pour weapons into the country continues.The move marks an escalation in Western military aid to Ukraine. Until now, the US and its NATO allies have provided Ukraine with thousands of shoulder-fired anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles but have held off on sending more advanced weapons over concerns of provoking Russia.The US official wouldn’t specify how many tanks will be sent or what countries they will come from. Ukraine needs Soviet-made weapons since its armed forces are trained to use them, and only the NATO members that are former Soviet states can provide them.The decision came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with NATO to send tanks and warplanes. The US had previously backed off from a plan to transfer Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.Separately on Friday, the Pentagon announced a new $300 million military aid package for Ukraine. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the Biden administration has pledged $1.6 billion in military equipment for the Ukrainians.According to the Pentagon, the new military aid package includes:Laser-guided rocket systems;Switchblade Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems;Puma Unmanned Aerial Systems;Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems;Armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles;Small-to-large caliber non-standard ammunition;Night vision devices, thermal imagery systems, and optics;Tactical secure communications systems;Non-standard machine guns;Commercial satellite imagery services;Medical supplies, field equipment, and spare parts.Poland has turned into a hub for NATO weapons that are being sent to Ukraine, and President Biden recently said that US soldiers in the country are training Ukrainian troops. The Pentagon downplayed Biden’s comments and said the US troops are only “liaising” with Ukrainian forces as they give them weapons.Republished from Antiwar.com with permissionThe post U.S. Will Work With Allies to Send Soviet-Made Tanks to Ukraine appeared first on We Are Change.
Moscow Says Ukraine Attacked Fuel Depot Inside Russia, Kyiv Denies ResponsibilityPosted: 01 Apr 2022 05:43 PM PDTRussia said Friday that Ukraine bombed a fuel depot in the Russian city of Belgorod, but Ukrainian officials are denying the claim.Russia’s Defense Ministry said two Ukrainian helicopters flying at low altitude attacked the facility, which is about 22 miles from the border with Ukraine. Video has surfaced online of what appears to be helicopters attacking the depot, and other videos show firefighters putting out the blaze.Oleksiy Danilov, the head of Ukraine’s Security Council, said Kyiv was not responsible for the attack. “For some reason they say that we did it, but according to our information this does not correspond to reality,” he said.Earlier in the day, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he couldn’t confirm or deny the Russian claim. “I can neither confirm nor reject the claim that Ukraine was involved in this simply because I do not possess all the military information,” he said.Russian authorities said that six of the 24 fuel tanks at the facilities caught fire and said the blaze had been extinguished. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was taking steps to ensure that the fire didn’t disrupt energy supplies in Belgorod.The alleged attack came on the same day that Russia and Ukraine resumed negotiations via video link. On Tuesday, officials met in person in Istanbul, and Ukraine put forward a draft peace deal that the Russian side said it would review and respond to.Republished from Antiwar.com with permissionThe post Moscow Says Ukraine Attacked Fuel Depot Inside Russia, Kyiv Denies Responsibility appeared first on We Are Change.
Zelensky Suddenly Dismisses Two of His Top Generals for Being “Traitors”Posted: 01 Apr 2022 01:36 PM PDTIn a highly unusual move, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has removed two of his own generals for being “traitors” – as he announced in a Friday post on the presidency’s website.“Today another decision was made. Regarding antiheroes. Now I do not have time to deal with all the traitors. But gradually they will all be punished,” Zelensky said, suggesting that he thinks more “traitors” are in the ranks which will soon be dealt with.The statement identified the pair of generals in the following: “That is why the ex-chief of the Main Department of Internal Security of the Security Service of Ukraine Naumov Andriy Olehovych and the former head of the Office of the Security Service of Ukraine in the Kherson region Kryvoruchko Serhiy Oleksandrovych are no longer generals,” according to the presidency’s website.These were top command posts. With the “Main Department of Internal Security” being the country’s main intelligence agency.The president didn’t specify what the allegations were, or the precise nature of their alleged traitorous activities, only do say they “have not decided where their homeland is” – suggesting perhaps pro-Russian sympathies, or also refusal to carry out state orders at the command level.Zelensky stated: “According to Article 48 of the Disciplinary Statute of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, those servicemen among senior officers who have not decided where their homeland is, who violate the military oath of allegiance to the Ukrainian people [in regard to] the protection of our state, its freedom and independence, will inevitably be deprived of senior military ranks. Random generals don’t belong here!”Despite some Western reports in the past days pointing to a Russian troop draw down near Chernihiv and Kiev, Zelensky told the public to prepare for “powerful strikes” – also amid reports the Russians are preparing to conduct attacks from longer ranges out.Without giving specifics, Zelensky also said he stripped two Ukrainian generals of their rank, calling them “traitors.” Andriy Naumov, ex-head of department of internal security at the Security Service of Ukraine, and Serhiy Kryvoruchko, ex-head of SBU directorate in Kherson. pic.twitter.com/LHQRTiJOkp— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) April 1, 2022“The invaders are allocating their sick creativity to the temporarily occupied areas of the Kherson region,” he said. “Also in Donbas, in Mariupol, in the Kharkiv direction, Russian troops are accumulating the potential for strikes. Powerful strikes.”Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post Zelensky Suddenly Dismisses Two of His Top Generals for Being “Traitors” appeared first on We Are Change.
UK Urges Zelensky to Hold Out for Better Terms in Peace Talks With RussiaPosted: 01 Apr 2022 12:44 PM PDTSo much for prioritizing lives over territory…In a report from the Times of London that’s nothing short of shocking (especially considering the continuing stalemate in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia), senior British officials are urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to instruct his negotiators to hold out and refuse to make concessions during talks with their Russian counterparts. The UK position reportedly contrasts with that of other European “allies”, like France and Germany, who have urged Zelenskyy to “settle” as soon as it’s feasible.As anybody who has been paying attention to the talks already knows, headlines advertising a “breakthrough” have almost always been followed by headlines reporting the opposite. And while Wall Street and European governments have claimed that a breakthrough appears to be just around the corner (possibly coming as soon as two weeks from now), the British government is apparently determined to do everything in its power to prolong the conflict at the expense of Ukrainian lives, according to a report in the Times of London published Friday.One senior British official is reportedly concerned that the Ukrainians are “over-eager” for peace.A senior government source said there were concerns that allies were “over-eager” to secure an early peace deal, adding that a settlement should be reached only when Ukraine is in the strongest possible position.During a phone call with Zelensky over the weekend, British PM Boris Johnson reportedly warned his Ukrainian counterpart that Russian President Putin is “a liar and a bully.”In a phone call at the weekend, Boris Johnson warned President Zelensky that President Putin was a “liar and a bully” who would use talks to “wear you down and force you to make concessions”. Zelensky is also understood to have raised concerns about the progress of the talks and whether Moscow was exploiting them to reposition and strengthen its forces.Meanwhile, in the latest sign of escalating conflict, Ukrainian forces reportedly carried out a cross-border raid on a Russian fuel depot on Friday, an attack that was so brazen that some on the Ukrainian side have denounced it as a “false flag” conducted by Russian forces to justify an escalation in Ukraine. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the strike certainly wouldn’t benefit the cause of peace talks, as the conflict has officially taken on a multinational dimension.Republished from ZeroHedge.com with permissionThe post UK Urges Zelensky to Hold Out for Better Terms in Peace Talks With Russia appeared first on We Are Change.

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