Fake..

Though peace talks are now at a standstill, they may revive when Russia’s Donbas push either succeeds or ends in stalemate, and Ukraine may again be presented with an unpleasant peace offering, lose Crimea, accept more autonomy for much of the Donbas, commit to neutrality. 

If Kyiv thinks Western support is endless, or likely to grow more direct, it may end up rejecting a deal it should have taken and suffer for it when the help it banked on doesn’t materialize.

The problem here isn’t helping Ukraine, it’s pretending the help is unconditional.

This conflict itself was partly precipitated by a series of false but beguiling assurances from Washington to Kyiv, which gave the impression of an alignment of interests.

The fatal dalliance included promises of “ironclad” support, the hollow suggestion of eventual NATO membership and the establishment of a security partnership backed by increased material and military assistance that fell short of a guarantee. 

That all left Ukraine in a vulnerable no-man’s land: without the shield of actual Western commitment yet emboldened to take measures that accelerated Russia’s determination to stop it from joining the West, like rejecting neutrality.  [Cato Institute By Justin Logan, Benjamin H. Friedman, and Patrick Porter]

Anyone..

 

Moscow has once again laid out its conditions for peace negotiations with Ukraine. Russia wants to see genuine political will on Kyiv's part to engage in dialogue.

 Moscow wants legal guarantees that Ukraine will never be allowed to join NATO, the Western military alliance, and wants Ukraine to change its constitution to cement this.

 In the past few months, Vladimir Putin has called for talks with Ukraine several times. Even the United States privately urged Volodymyr Zelensky to be open to talks. 

But the Ukrainian President has ruled out the possibility of negotiations, as he sees talks with Russia as a compromise and a surrender in front of Moscow. Watch this report for full information.

Does anyone want peace between these two countries?

Morality..

 

Many major world powers have implemented coercive measures against Venezuela in response to public corruption, human rights abuses, and antidemocratic actions taken by the Maduro government.

The US had led the most severe sanctions, which began when President Obama declared a national emergency and implemented targeted sanctions in 2015.

On 12 February 2021, Alena Douhan, the UN Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures and human rights, released a preliminary report condemning international sanctions against Venezuela.

Over five years since these sanctions were first introduced, the country faces a desperate humanitarian crisis, calling into question the morality and efficacy of such measures.

Douhan states: “Before the Blockade, Venezuela was spending 76% of its oil revenues on social programs. Now it can’t even invest 1% of that.” Douhan argues that sanctions on the economic activity directly impede the government’s ability to guarantee the human rights of its population, which has had a “devastating impact on the whole population of Venezuela”.

Just a "Moral" thought.

Front..

 

Syria..

 

An American military outpost in Syria has come under rocket fire. 

At least two missiles hit the U.S. patrol base near the town of Al-Shaddadi in northeastern Syria late on Friday night, according to Central Command. While the U.S. military remained silent about the type of missiles used in the attack, it noted that a "third unfired rocket" was later discovered at an "origin site." 

The latest rocket attacks come just days after the Pentagon voiced "deep concern" about Ankara’s ongoing military action in Syria.

We are occupying this piece of Syria because of.....  

Is that considered another Afghanistan?  Just a thought.

Ban..

 The EU-U.S rift over the Ukraine war is out in the open as the conflict enters its tenth month. 

Senior officials of the European Union are angry at the Biden administration for capitalising on the Ukraine war and the bloc's economic problems, according to media outlet Politico's report. 

“The fact is, if you look at it soberly, the country that is most profiting from this war is the U.S. because they are selling more gas and at higher prices, and because they are selling more weapons,” one senior official said.

 The explosive comments, backed in public and private by officials, diplomats and ministers elsewhere, follow mounting anger in Europe over American subsidies that threaten to wreck European industry.  

 “We are really at a historic juncture,” the senior EU official said, arguing that the double hit of trade disruption from U.S. subsidies and high energy prices risks turning public opinion against both the war effort and the transatlantic alliance. “America needs to realize that public opinion is shifting in many EU countries.”

Well, to the EU, don't act too surprised. You saw that from the beginning when the President insisted on suspended Nord Stream 2.    Just a thought.

Help..

 

Politics..

Cap..

 

European energy ministers failed to reach a compromise over a cap on natural gas prices after "heated," "ugly" and "tough" discussions

Countries eager to implement the cap, most notably Poland, Spain and Greece, say this proposal is not realistic as it is so high that it is unlikely to ever be triggered.

The European ministers can't stop disturbing the energy market in its format, and the outcome is complete disaster in so many ways. 

The European countries ae purchasing Natural gas with  priceses three folds of what it was. Look at the countries in the EU where inflation reached 20%, economic development and the cost of living that is much trouble.

lets not pull the two ends of the robe, hands off approach may be the right thing to do at this time.  Just a thought.

FIFA..

The 2022 Qatar World Cup is going to be the first-ever World Cup held in the Middle East and it has proved to be the most controversial to date.

Based on the projections, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said earlier this week that 5bn people are expected to tune in for the World Cup this winter.

For the 2018 tournament in Russia, the global TV audience was 3.5bn. The rise is likely down to the increasing popularity of football in countries such as Canada and the USA which have huge populations. Just a "great Sport" thought.